A hero pup in Siberia took a page out of Lassie’s playbook when he helped a 3-year-old girl survive for 11 days and nights in the Siberian wilderness.
Little Larina Chikitova was lost deep in the bear- and wolf-infested woods of the frigid Sakha region, the coldest in Siberia, but she was able to beat the odds and find cover thanks to her pet dog, Kyrachaan, Central European News reports.
Despite being in danger and without food for nearly two weeks, emergency officials believe the girl was able to survive on her own because she had Kyrachaan, which means “Little One,” by her side to help discover a safe place to sleep.
Ducked down in a secure nest covered by tall grass, the toddler was hidden so well that even rescuers had a tough time finding her.
Larina went into the woods, wandering after her father, who had embarked on a remote firefighting operation July 29, according to Central European News.
Due to terrible phone reception, it wasn’t discovered that the young girl had been missing until four days later, when her mother was able to finally get through to her husband.
The rescue operation began on Aug. 3.
The rescuers remained hopeful because they knew she had the puppy with her and thought the canine could help her survive.
Rescuers came across numerous bears before eventually finding the child. The tot was extremely thin, with mosquito bites covering most of her body, as well as scratches on her feet.
Larina remembered everything about her frightening ordeal, especially how Kyrachaan had kept her safe and watched over her, Central European News reports.
Social workers are investigating the family for neglect over the four-day delay in reporting the youngster missing.