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Missing toddler was found safe in the woods, using her dog as a pillow

A local person on an ATV found the girl approximately four hours later, about 3 miles from her home.
Michigan State Police car.
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A 2-year-old girl wandered away from home with her two dogs; she was found hours later asleep in the woods, using one dog as a pillow while the other guarded her.

According to Michigan State Police, the toddler, named Thea Chase, was initially reported missing in Faithorn, Michigan, around 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

Authorities quickly mobilized drones and K-9 units and received assistance from local police and community members.

Ultimately, a local person on an ATV found the girl in good health approximately four hours later, about 3 miles from her home.

“She laid down and used one of the dogs as a pillow, and the other dog laid right next to her and kept her safe,” Lt. Mark Giannunzio told the Associated Press. “It’s a really remarkable story.”

The child’s mom, Brooke Chase, spoke to local news station WJMN, saying that she was “in such a fog and in such a shock that she was literally gone, in a split second.”

“We’re searching all around the yard, up and down the roads, screaming at the top of our lungs her name, calling for the dogs because the dogs were missing, too," said Chase.

Chase told the outlet that she mostly got scared because the area is fairly dark and there’s a swamp nearby. She called police after 15 minutes of looking for her child.