TYLER JACOBSON - 22 months - Elgin SC

Family dog kept watch over missing 2-year-old overnight

Tyler Jacobson (Source:
Kershaw County Sheriff's Office)


April 02, 2011

ELGIN, SC (WIS) - A missing 2-year-old boy in Elgin was found Saturday morning after Kershaw County deputies say the family dog kept him warm and safe all night.

Sheriff Jim Matthews said 22-month-old Tyler Jacobson was reunited with his family after he was found across the street behind a neighbor's home when someone reported hearing crying in the area.

Tyler was reported missing around 8:00pm Friday from a residence on Ashley Creek Drive. Matthews said the boy's mother, 25-year-old Jacklyn Marie Jacobson, and her boyfriend Jose Gloria told investigators Tyler went to get some juice and didn't come back.

Kershaw County deputies used a bloodhound tracking team and a SLED helicopter with infrared capabilities, but called the search off around 12:30am Saturday. The search resumed around 7:45am, and the boy was found shortly thereafter.

"Just thinking that a dog would watch a baby over the night, it's kind of like a movie instead of real life," said Emily DuBose, who lives in the house outside which the baby was found.

DuBose had no idea a story of devotion and survival was playing out right outside her door. "When we saw the choppers last night, we just assumed a criminal was loose, so I locked the door," said Linda Harr, who also lives at the house. "The last thing I was gonna do is go outside."

"I heard some barking early in the morning, but I didn't really think about it, I just heard dogs barking," said DuBose.

But during the night, Jacobson's dog was keeping watch over his 22-month-old master in temperatures that got down to the 40s. "I just wish I'd have known, I could have warmed him up, called the cops," said Harr.

Now, words of praise for the dog who likely helped save little Tyler's life. "Since he belonged to them, he must have followed them the whole way, so that's very special," said Harr.

And so this story has a happy ending, thanks to the special bond of a child's best friend.

Sheriff Matthews said the family was interviewed Friday night, and again on Saturday. He said the boy's biological father is in the Army and stationed in Hawaii, and is currently on his way back to Kershaw County.

A heart warming story that shows that dogs are much better than cats. A cat would never have done that.
No hate mail, please.

TomTerrific0420 wrote:A heart warming story that shows that dogs are much better than cats. A cat would never have done that.
No hate mail, please.

Thats because the cat would have taken him home, and not spent the night in the cold!

http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/family-dog-kept-missing-sc-toddler-warm-24788364

ELGIN, SC (WIS) - Some are asking why
something wasn't done sooner after a two-year-old boy wandered from his
Kershaw County home for the second time in a week.

For many, learning your 22-month-old boy is missing outside for hours would
be a parent's worst nightmare. But Kershaw County Sheriff Jim Matthews
said the first time it happened, it seemed like no big deal to Jacklyn
Jacobson and Jose Gloria.

"The thing that caused us a little bit of a problem the first night was that
there was no panic on the part of the mother," said Matthews.

Matthews said that was cause for concern, but not cause for arrest. "Can't press
charges for that," he said. "We don't want to be too quick if it's just
a slip-up."

Matthews said DSS inspected the home and found the home appeared to be a
suitable environment for the most part, despite the lack of urgency.
"Our investigator found a very small amount of marijuana seeds and
residue and the decision was made not to charge them because it was so
minor," said Matthews.

But after the toddler was spotted wandering the streets alone again a week
later, the sheriff said he got the evidence he needed. "The investigator
who went out on the call had been on the first one and said these
people aren't capable or interested in taking care of them and the
decision was made on the spot to arrest them," said Matthews.

"You can play Monday morning quarterback all you want and think maybe we
should have done something," added Matthews. "If we would have known the
child was gonna be missing we might have done something the first time,
but you don't know that."
Related Stories:
Bond set for Elgin couple after toddler found wandering again
http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=14433703