A 17-Year-Old Deaf Dog Stayed With a Lost 3-Year-Old All Night

Three-year-old Aurora had wandered away from her family’s home in rural Australia, and nobody knew where she had gone. Her family searched the surrounding hills as rain moved through the area. Police and emergency volunteers joined the search, but darkness was approaching, and there was still no sign of her.

Fortunately, Aurora hadn’t wandered off alone. The family’s 17-year-old dog, Max, had followed her.

Max was a blue heeler who was deaf and partially blind. At his age, most dogs were enjoying a quiet retirement, but Max was about to prove that he still had plenty left to give.

A Little Girl Disappears Into the Hills

It was Friday, April 20, 2018, near Cherry Gully, about 30 kilometres south of Warwick in Queensland, Australia. Aurora had wandered away from the family’s large rural property sometime that afternoon. By approximately 3 p.m., she had been reported missing.

The surrounding countryside was beautiful but difficult to navigate. Steep hills, thick vegetation, and patches of lantana made walking challenging, even for experienced adults. For a three-year-old, finding the way home would be especially difficult.

Police, State Emergency Service volunteers, family members, and local residents began searching the surrounding bushland. As the afternoon turned into evening, rain moved through the area. The temperature dropped, and the search became increasingly difficult.

Some parts of the countryside were too dangerous to search after dark. Teams had to wait for daylight before they could safely cover those areas. Meanwhile, Aurora and Max were somewhere in the hills.

The little girl had travelled approximately two kilometres from the house. She was still on the family’s property, but she was far beyond where anyone expected to find her.

Max Stayed Beside Her

Max was an unlikely candidate for a mountain rescue. At 17, he was elderly by any dog’s standards. His hearing was gone, and his eyesight had deteriorated considerably. Yet he had followed Aurora into the bush and remained beside her throughout the cold, wet night.

Aurora later told her family that she had cuddled up beside Max and slept with him. He provided familiar company and warmth while she was away from home. Whatever frightened her during those long hours, she had her old friend close by.

Her grandmother, Leisa Bennett, later described how strongly the little girl smelled of dog when she was finally found. Aurora had apparently spent much of the night pressed up against Max.

Back at the house, the family had no way of knowing that the two were together. They could only hope that Aurora had found somewhere sheltered and was managing to stay warm. The search continued into Saturday morning.

Someone Heard a Little Voice

At first light, searchers returned to the hills. More than 100 police officers, emergency volunteers, and members of the public had joined the effort. They spread out across the rough countryside, calling Aurora’s name and checking areas that had been difficult to reach the previous evening.

Leisa Bennett was among them. As she climbed through the bush, she called out for her granddaughter. Then she heard something: a faint voice coming from somewhere higher up the hillside.

“Grammy!”

Leisa recognized Aurora immediately and began climbing toward the sound. The ground was steep, and reaching the little girl wasn’t easy. But for the first time since Aurora had disappeared, her grandmother knew which direction to go. Then Max appeared.

The elderly dog came toward Leisa as she climbed the hillside. Rather than wandering away, he turned and led her directly to Aurora. After more than 15 hours missing, the little girl had been found.

A Reunion Nobody Would Forget

It was approximately 8 a.m. on Saturday when Aurora was reunited with her family. Despite spending the night outdoors in cold, wet conditions, she had escaped with only minor cuts and scratches. The rescue workers were amazed.

State Emergency Service area controller Ian Phipps described the surrounding countryside as mountainous and difficult to walk through. Aurora had travelled a considerable distance for someone so young. Her family was overwhelmed with relief.

Leisa recalled that there were plenty of tears when everyone finally came together. Aurora, however, seemed a little confused by all the emotion. Her grandmother explained that they were happy tears.

After all, Aurora had spent the night with someone she trusted. She had cuddled up beside Max, slept, and waited until morning. The family soon learned that Max had helped in another important way: when Leisa approached the hillside, he had come to meet her and led her to the exact spot where Aurora was waiting.

The old dog had stayed with the child through the night and helped bring her home the following morning. Word of the rescue began spreading across Australia, and Queensland Police decided Max deserved some recognition.

An Honorary Police Dog

Shortly after Aurora was found, Queensland Police announced that Max would become an honorary police dog. The announcement delighted people across the country.

Here was a 17-year-old family pet, deaf and partially blind, who had helped rescue a missing child in rugged countryside. He hadn’t received any special training, and he certainly wasn’t built for the demanding work normally associated with police dogs. But he had been there when Aurora needed him.

On May 1, 2018, police officers visited Max to make his appointment official. Senior Sergeant James Deacon and Sergeant Trevor O’Neil presented him with a Queensland Police Service collar and medallion. Max became Queensland’s first honorary police dog.

The officers praised him for looking after Aurora and helping her grandmother find her. Photographs from the occasion showed the elderly blue heeler wearing his new medal.

And there was one final reward: the officers told Max he was a good boy and gave him an extra-long belly rub.