As a parent, your first instinct is to love and protect your child at all costs, so when he’s gone and you can’t do anything about the situation, panic will soon set in.
That’s exactly what the parents of six-year-old Kaydon Leach experienced when their son went missing on the evening of April 23 with his dog Shula.
Authorities began a search at 7 p.m. that will involve 100 people and will continue through Tuesday night. When they found Kaedon, he wasn’t alone…
Kaydon Leach disappeared in Blount County, Tennessee on the evening of April 23. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation quickly issued a child-at-risk alert as rescue teams searched a 2,000-acre area overnight for nets.
Since Kaedon was only six years old, concerns for his safety were of paramount importance. The full-scale operation to find him included the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, K-9 teams, the Blount County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team, a military Black Hawk helicopter, and volunteer search teams from the area.
Michelle Bickle Flanigan
After 10 p.m., Kaydon was found about half a mile from his home at World Community Summit in Blount County at 3:30 p.m. local time on April 24.
Despite the remarkable efforts of many people involved in the search to find him, it is not the police, firefighters or volunteers who are recognized as the true heroes of the story. Rather, it’s the black and white terrier Kaedon was with; What no.
With Kaedon missing for an entire night in the rain, Shula guarded her master and kept him safe until the others could reach him.
According to Blount County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Jeff French, “The dog actually roared at the rescuers as they approached Kaydon.”
In the darkness and the rain, in the darkness of the night, Shula stayed beside his master. What a good boy!
The Kaydon family said in a statement:
“We are so grateful to everyone from local law enforcement to volunteers who helped us find Kaidon. The support we’ve received has been overwhelming, even from people we don’t even know. We appreciate all our friends and neighbors and ask for privacy at this time.
