Every parent’s biggest nightmare comes true when they discover their child is missing.

This is something Marshal Butler’s parents from Ponce de Leon, Florida, are all too familiar with.

Marshal is a toddler who also happens to be autistic.

On Wednesday morning of June 3rd, 2020, he quietly vanished alongside the household pets. Worse, he was only wearing his diaper when he was last seen.

The fact that the child cannot communicate made finding him even more difficult.

Thankfully, his faithful dogs Nala and Buckwheat provided some consolation to his family that he wasn’t alone.

Marshal’s aunt, Kayla Stewart, said they were all worried out of their minds. They were thinking about “all sorts of worst-case scenarios.” The family received instant assistance from their neighbors.

They split up to explore the neighborhood as the sheriff’s department posted about the case on Facebook.

According to Corey Webster from Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Florida:

“We have got roughly 25 to 30 units from various different local state agencies in the area searching. And we are trying to establish track on the time.”

“Right now we’ve got two different agencies with a dog team on this search.”

He added:

“Minutes are precious when it comes to the search of a child.”

Thankfully, because dogs are great and family pets are extremely devoted, the little kid was discovered on the same day he went missing.

Carol Shelton, a neighbor, discovered the toddler approximately a mile from his house.

“His dogs were right there with him. We’re thankful that the pups kind of guided him along. I guess they kept him safe,” Carol mentioned.

The neighbor and the diligent officers assisted in reuniting the toddler with his concerned parents.

Corey shared,

“Marshal was in good spirits when found. A little dirty from the walk through the woods, but unharmed and happy. Dogs are loyal creatures. I feel like they probably knew to stay with him when they saw he was alone. Their instincts kicked in. They stayed with the boy and watched over him until he was located.”

While all human efforts were successful in locating Marshal and returning him to his family. We can’t help but believe that the true heroes of this story are the devoted dogs who kept the child safe.

Marshal set out on an adventure into the unknown, but he did so with two of the best company he could find. The entire time, Nala and Buckwheat stayed right near their toddler charge.

Consider the perils that a curious, innocent infant might face when exploring the woods.

The toddler was unharmed thanks to the dogs and was as healthy and joyful as can be.

There are so many things that may go wrong in an environment like this. This is evidence of how essential dogs can be in people’s lives.

Dogs are highly loyal and dependable. They are more than simply cuddly, fluffy best companions who bring comfort and love. They have certainly earned the moniker “man’s best friend”!

Marshal’s family was ecstatic to see him safe and sound at home.

They’re proud of how well their pets handled the situation and kept Marshal safe.

“They’re doing their job,” expressed Marshal’s mom.

Of course, we have to commend the Walton County Sheriff’s Office for quickly apprehending them all.

Watch the video below!

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Sources: WJHG, Facebook – Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Florida