Story by Rebecca West
Images courtesy of Dawn Dunton
Being a working dog on a ranch isn’t always solely about herding or keeping an eye on livestock. Their jobs can vary, and sometimes, they get up to their own business when left to their own devices. Take Burford, a 6-year-old Great Pyrenees-boxer-Anatolian Shepherd mix who found himself about a mile from home when he ran into a missing 2-year-old boy named Boden Allen who’d wandered off from his parents’ house in Seligman, Arizona, the day before, much to his parents’ obvious distress.
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Leading Boden back to his (Buford’s) own home turf early in the morning, the two were greeted by a surprised Scotty Dunton, owner of Dunton Ranch, a cattle farm roughly 40 miles east of Kingman and at least seven miles from where Boden disappeared approximately 16 hours earlier. The hunt for the missing toddler had been extensive. It included approximately 40 search and rescue members and officers from several law enforcement agencies who searched the rugged terrain with zero success.
Scotty stated that he knew the child was missing due to local reports, so when he saw Buford returning with him, he knew who it was immediately. As part of his routine, Buford has a way he comes home every day down the side of the property and across a wash. “His little tracks were right with him the whole way, so, yeah, he brought him right here.” Boden was returned unharmed to his grateful parents.
This all took place on April 14th, so it was even cooler in the high desert when this story originally unfolded. Curious as to where they’d come from, Scotty found tracks the two had left, which led him to believe that Buford had come into contact with Boden at least a mile or so from the ranch. He told us that Buford had gone out late the night before to keep an eye on the property, which is part of his job as a livestock guardian.
It was difficult to ascertain exactly what happened due to Boden’s limited ability to recap his terrifying trek. But it seems both he and Buford curled up and slept together under a tree, which helped keep him warm during the 40-some-degree night. Boden was fortunate that Buford, who weighs at least 150+ pounds, is the toasty mishmash of breeds that he is.
Anatolian shepherds are renowned for being strong, assertive, and protective animals, excelling in their role as livestock guardian dogs (LGDs). While also extremely protective, Great Pyrenees are recognized for their gentle nature, especially with children. It’s a win-win in the doggy genetic lottery.
Not surprisingly, Scotty and his wife Dawn were inundated with calls from writers and people across the country desirous of details about the event and insights into Buford’s favorite treats, toys, and snacks so they could send him gift packages as a personal reward. It’s good to be a hero, especially of the cute canine variety.
As it turns out, Buford was Scotty’s Christmas present from Dawn one year, and his name comes from Buford T. Justice, the sheriff in the Burt Reynolds flick Smokey and the Bandit. Overall, Buford was said to be a good puppy who hardly ever chewed on or destroyed things. “He’s by far the coolest dog we’ve had,” Scotty noted.
According to Dawn, when Buford was about a year old, she spotted him outside, studiously watching over a young calf. From that point on, his instincts continued to shine through, and he has guarded them each successive season as new calves arrive, cuddling and watching over them like a protective papa. He routinely patrols the grounds to keep coyotes and mountain lions at bay.
Speaking of which, according to the sheriff’s office, the Arizona Department of Public Safety rangers searching for the tot in a helicopter spotted two mountain lions in the area Boden had traveled through. The animals’ tracks were also seen nearby. Scotty told reporters that two bears had come through a couple of weeks earlier. “There’s [sic] all sorts of hazards up here for that kid.” So, if the dog was with him, that dog would die rather than let that kid get hurt.
While Scotty says that Buford’s always been a really mellow dog, he admits that he’s also a tough dog whose bark “wakes the dead.” Fortunately, he’s only had to engage in physical conflicts a few times that his owners know of, and he hasn’t returned home injured yet. Let’s hope it stays that way.
