It's every parent's worst nightmare. Their young child gone, lost in the middle of nowhere. And I started calling for him and he wasn't answering. They started searching all over their property, but still no sign of Bowdoin. I looked at her dead in the eye and I said, he's gone. This is The Miracle Files. I'm Emily Jones. And I'm Holly Worthington. And sometimes the news and social media can feel pretty dark. And true crime can leave you afraid to even crawl into bed. But we're here to prove that there are more miracles than murders. In these special Miracles in the News episodes, we dig through the headlines for you. Because miracles still happen, and God is still good. Welcome back to Miracles in the News. Okay, Emily, I was looking for stories, and as an animal lover, I was so excited to find this one. Oh, fun. Okay, so what kind of animal? Okay, it's about a dog. So if you want, we can dedicate this episode to Pierre and Milo, our dogs. Pierre and Milo will appreciate that. I'm sure. Thank you. I'm sure they're honored. So sweet. So today's story starts in the high desert of northern Arizona in a town called Seligman. It's about 100 miles south of the Grand Canyon, and it actually inspired Radiator Springs. So that gives you an idea of what it's like. Oh, fun. From cars. Yes, from Disney's Cars. Tiny, tiny, tiny little town. Yes. Got it. So it's around 5 p.m. in the evening. It's a Monday night. Corey Allen is working on the roof of his house. His wife, Sarah, is inside with their two-year-old son, Bowden. She's also tending to their baby, a little distracted as she's helping the baby out. But it's just a typical night until something terrifying happens. Authorities say two-year-old Bowdoin Allen left his home near Sedona around 5 p.m. Monday while his dad was working on the house and his mom was changing their other baby's diaper. So within 10 minutes of her changing the diaper, having him right next to her, she looks down. He's nowhere to be found. Oh, my gosh. Yeah. That's so scary. Things like that happen so fast. As a mom, I know it can happen. Yeah. I have a little two-year-old grandson myself. and I'll tell you that kid can run. Yeah, he's cute, but he can get away from you real fast. Yeah, so at first Sarah and Cody figured little Bowden has just kind of wandered off, but he's got to be nearby. They're looking all around for him, but the longer they search, the more panic starts to set in. So here's Bowden's parents talking about what happened that night. I started calling for him and he wasn't answering. They started searching all over their property. It started getting more intense every minute, you know? And so I'm just freaking out. Calling in family to help, but still no sign of Bowdoin. I looked at her dead in the eye and I said, he's gone. Their minds going to the worst case scenario. The tears are still coming when we think about it. Oh, my gosh. I know what that feels like I remember when my son was like four years old and he went and he actually fell asleep under my bed But he a really heavy sleeper and doesn respond when you call his name So for an hour, we didn't know where he was. I have never felt that kind of desperation before. Yeah. Yeah. So scary. And for Sarah and Corey, this is all happening in the middle of a desert. Oh, my gosh. And when they can't find their son, they call the authorities. And before long, a widespread search is launched. Soon night falls with no sight of Bowdoin anywhere. And you can just imagine what these parents are going through. Their little guy is just dressed in a tank top and pajama pants. And it's April. And he can get cold at night in April in the high desert. So. Poor baby. Yeah. And even more frightening is what search crews find as they are looking around the area. At one point, a police helicopter crew spotted two mountain lions in the area, appearing to stalk those in the search team. They had to continually warn our searchers on the ground because there were mountain lions that were actually tracking those teams. That's so scary. Right? Especially because he's such a little kid. I know. Terrifying. So the search party keeps growing and everyone is determined to find little Bowden. but unfortunately they're not having any luck. The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office alongside other agencies conducted a 16-hour search for the two-year-old. Not only did we search on foot but also there were some of the razors and four by fours as well as we did make use of some of the helicopters to make sure that we were doing everything we could to locate the child. Oh my gosh 16 hours. Yeah. Of I'm sure pure torture for those parents. Oh yeah. Yeah the later it gets at night, the more desperate these poor parents feel. And of course they don't get any sleep that night at all. I didn't even know how to process. I looked at his empty bed in the middle of the night and I'm like, this isn't real. He's not, how is he not here? How is he out by himself somewhere in the dark, like alone? How is that even real? It's like the worst living nightmare parents could ever feel. Oh my gosh. That would destroy me. Like I don't think I could go through something like that. It would be so awful and so terrifying. So by the next morning, little Bowdoin, unbeknownst to everyone, has wandered seven miles away. Oh, my gosh. Yeah. So search crews are still looking a little closer to where he disappeared. Because, of course, I don't think anyone was thinking that this little two-year-old would wander that far away. How did you get that far as little two-year-old? Yeah. But while they're all searching and having a hard time and not finding him, something unbelievable happens. A dog named Buford happens. Buford is an Anatolian Pyrenees, which is a breed known for being gentle, protective giants. He lives on a large ranch owned by a man named Scotty Dunton. And because he has this protective nature every day he patrols the property Like he just goes around the perimeter of the ranch every day making sure that there are no like wild animals getting into the property And meanwhile, little Bowden has fallen asleep under a tree. As Buford is sniffing around, he notices something unusual. And that something is Bowden. When the little boy wakes up, he wakes up to this big dog, Buford. Oh, that's so sweet. And Buford won't leave his side until the little boy comes with him. Oh, my gosh. I love it. Are you a fan of true stories, interesting history, celebrity trivia, true crime, weird news? And you're going to love my podcast, True Stories with Seth Andrews. And I'm your host, Seth Andrews, releasing five-minute podcast vignettes three times a week. Search True Stories with Seth Andrews on Spreaker and all major podcast apps or visit the website, truestoriespodcast.com. Scotty Dutton is getting ready to head into town. He walks outside and he notices his dog, Buford, sitting at the end of his driveway. And when Scotty looks closer, he can't believe what's standing next to him. I see Buford coming down the deal right there with a little blonde-haired boy with him. Like a scene straight out of Lassie. And of course, Lassie. He loves little kids and he wouldn't leave his side. I mean, even down there and stuff, he was just sitting right next to him, leaned up against him and just wanted to make sure he was OK. Gunn says he recognized the boy immediately. I had heard that morning about the missing child, so I knew it was him. So Scotty calls the authorities and gets little Bowden some food and water. When the police arrive, they confirm Bowden's identity and they notify his parents who are finally able to be reunited with their little boy. Everyone is stunned when they learn that it was Buford who found Bowden and guided him back to safety. Good boy. And later, once Bowden is home with his parents, Scotty goes out and follows the footprints of Bowden and Buford to see where they'd come from. I got Buford with him for a mile. And I got in the rocks and I lost his track. But he was with him for at least a mile from my house. Wow, a mile. Can you imagine? It's crazy. And of all the possible ways that little Bowdoin could have been found, God sent a dog. It's amazing. You know, we often say that not all angels have wings, but sometimes angels have paws. Buford was an angel. He really was. And Bowdoin's parents definitely believed that this was a miracle. God sent that dog to rescue my son. And you said that a rock gave that to you? Yep. Despite the scratches from Bowdoin's terrifying adventure just a few days ago. But you're feeling okay now? Yep. Yeah? And you got some chocolate? The two is happy to be back home with mom and dad It unreal and it unbelievable It a miracle With his parents Corey and Sarah Allen holding him tighter than ever before He's so cute. Isn't he awesome? I love it. That's really sweet. I mean, God truly can use anything he needs to to perform a miracle. And this is evidence of that. It's true. And as I was researching this story and just reading all about good old Buford, it reminded me of our dog, Blanche. Because Blanche, our dog growing up, was also so protective and saved, I believe, my life at one point. Our parents had taken in our car to a mechanic. And someone who was working on our car stole the garage door opener out of the car. And that night, my roommate and I were sleeping on the couches right by the door that came in from the garage. When we heard the garage door open and we heard our dog Blanche barking her head off. Our mom came down. We went outside. We're all scared. We didn't know what was going on. And it was winter and we could see in the snow a man's footprints all the way down the road and Blanche's footprints following behind that guy, chasing him away. And the man's black knit hat laying there in the snow. It's terrifying to think what could have happened if Blanche wasn't there and if Blanche wasn't such a protective dog. She was like the nicest dog. She was. To everyone except for Millman and bad guys. She did not like Millman and she did not like bad guys, luckily. She was such a good dog. So protective. So good. Well, we hope that you've enjoyed this amazing miracle story about Buford the dog. Buford later received an honorary search and rescue certificate and a vest by the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office for being a source of comfort to the family and community. and playing a vital role in representing the spirit of keeping their community safe. I did not know that dogs could win awards, so that's pretty cool. Heck yeah. And let me tell you, things turned out all right for Buford. As for Buford, he's back to work tonight, but not without a little reward. Oh, he's getting steak dinner tonight. My wife already said, yeah, no, he did a great job. Oh, well-deserved steak dinner. I love it. Yes, hopefully it was prime rib or filet mignon, something like that. Something fancy for that sweet dog. Actually, probably like a T-bone. I don't know. But anyway. Either way, he deserved it. Thanks, everyone, for joining us. For another Miracle in the News, remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Leave us a review, share with your friends, and make sure you have a wonderful week. Thank you for joining us. If you have a miracle to share, contact us at themiraclefiles.com or find us on social media. We release new episodes each Monday. Yeah, so don't forget Miracle Mondays. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and YouTube for amazing video content as well. Join us next time as we discover more of God's miracles. And don't forget to look for His light in your own lives.
