A family dog has been hailed as a hero after protecting two young girls who became lost in the woods.
When Abigail and Cecilia Bourg went missing near their home in Folsom, Louisiana, US, their parents were petrified.
Mum Mary Bourg said: "I just start like running around the whole property — six acres — and that's when I called [my husband] and said, 'They're gone'."
It wasn't just the girls, aged seven and four, who had disappeared that day towards the end of November but also the family dog Artemis.
A police search was launched with neighbours stepping up to help as well in the four hours the three were missing.
Eventually someone heard Artemis barking.
According to Mary, the dog was protecting the girls even from the search teams and "wasn't letting them by the girls".
She continued: "He was circling them, growling at the people to protect them."
A little shade was cast on the heroic antics of the dog when it was revealed by the children that it was Artemis who got them lost in the first place.
Abigail explained that the pooch kept running ahead and the girls were just trying to keep up with him.
Despite this the family has forgiven Artemis.
Dad Justin Bourg said: "He's got a free pass for a while. I won't be fussing at him for chewing up blankets and shoes."
Dogs can prove crucial in missing person cases.
On December 4 a loyal pup led rescuers to his 84-year-owner who had been missing for a week after a manhunt by emergency services had failed to locate the pensioner.
Gregorio Romero left his house in Moctezuma, Sonora State, Mexico, to go for a walk but got lost in the desert sparking a search and rescue mission but after days of looking police were unable to find him.
When the major manhunt, which even included sniffer dogs, was unable to find Mr Romero, his faithful pooch El Palomo succeeded where they had failed.
The two-year-old mongrel led rescuers to him after crossing over hills, paths and ravines to where Mr Romero was lying in the Sonora Desert.
Gregorio was found just 1.9 miles (3km) from his home on December 4.
He had vanished on November 27.
Members of the National Guard, the Municipal Police, the Municipal Civil Protection Unit, and even a trained sniffer dog unit had tried and failed to find him.
Family members reported him missing four days after he vanished.
In the past, it was not uncommon for Gregorio to visit nearby villages in the area and return a few days later so relatives were not initially concerned for his safety.
