A stray pit bull re-emphasized why dogs are commonly referred to as “man’s best friend” after making sure a missing toddler was safe by closely “guarding” him until help came and his family eventually found him.
According to FOX 2, the toddler, Kh’amorion Taylor, was found wandering around a neighborhood in St. Louis City last week by a neighbor after he managed to leave his father’s home that morning. The neighbor said she was walking her dogs when she saw the pajamas-wearing Kh’amorion in the company of the dog.
In a bid to reunite the toddler with his family, the neighbor went around knocking on the doors of houses within the vicinity for hours, albeit initially unsuccessful.
“I knocked on the doors up and down the street. Knocked on the doors, no answers; no one who did answer, they didn’t recognize the child,” she told the news outlet.
The toddler’s father was eventually able to reunite with his son after seeing a missing person’s photo of him on social media. “He looked well taken care of, he was very neat, very clean; he just didn’t have the shoes on,” the neighbor said, adding she couldn’t have just left the little boy to his fate after seeing him alone.
“Because it takes a village and children, especially, are innocent,” she told FOX 2, also stressing on the value of showing love to one another.
“It is important that we stick together, that we help each other, that we go back to the things that our grandparents and their community used to do,” she continued. “That we build a sense of unity.”
The toddler seemed to enjoy the company of his new friend as he reportedly kept referring to the pit bull as “puppy” while efforts were being made to locate his family. It also ended well for the stray dog, with FOX 2 reporting the St. Louis police are considering adopting it.