Family dog lies on lost 3-year-old to keep him warm


A loyal family dog is being credited with keeping a lost 3-year-old boy safe and warm after he wandered away from home.

Carson Urness went missing late Monday evening from his family’s 2,000-acre farm in Cooperstown, N.D. Luckily, he had his golden retriever/German shepherd mix Cooper with him.

Courtney Urness, Carson’s mom, said nearly 200 people showed to search for the lost boy late into the night and early morning.

With temperatures dipping and rain starting, hope of finding Carson was fading and many searchers were getting ready to stop for the night.
"As the night went on, there got to be a little more moisture in the air and at about 2 o’clock in the morning the rain was coming down and we were at the point to send the footwalkers home. There was nothing more for them to do," Griggs County Sheriff Robert Hook told Fargo TV station KVLY.
But one volunteer continued to search an area about one mile from the family’s home.
"Pat (the volunteer) went over the hill and shot his headlights and Cooper stood up just enough to let him know he was there," Courtney told KVLY. 
When the volunteer approached Cooper, he saw that Carson was lying underneath the dog, dry and warm. An ATV carried Carson back home, with Cooper following close behind.
“Somebody came and knocked on the door and said we found them and I just ran to the ambulance,” Courtney told WDAZ-TV.
According to reports, Carson had torn jeans, a ripped jacket and muddy shoes and socks. He was taken to a nearby hospital, but other than cold feet, Carson was unscathed.