On June 14, a mother in Qulin, Missouri lived every parent’s worst nightmare when her 3 year-off daughter went missing.

Little Remy Merritt disappeared from her rural home at approximately 8:30pm last Thursday.

“I looked for her by myself thinking maybe she was just in the woods or somewhere where I just couldn’t see her,” said Timber, Remy’s mother. “And I was just calling for her and calling for her, and when she wasn’t calling back I realized ‘I don’t think I’m going to find her on my own.’”

The entire community rallied around the Merritt family, and police and volunteers gathered at their home to search the area. They began the search in the cornfield next to Remy’s house, hoping that she would be found safely in there.

“It went from five people to about 75 to 100 people out here by the time we were done,” Timber said, adding that even helicopters were flying over the scene to search it.

“Everybody knows everybody here and so when they hear of one of their neighbors in trouble, whether you know them or not— you just stop what you’re doing and show up,” said Clark Parrot, a sergeant with the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Though the group searched for Remy all night, they could not find her.

“It was stressful and emotional,” a family friend told reporters. “We were all just walking back and forth from one end to the other just yelling her name. All the flashlights started dying and the sheriff’s office decided to call it for the night.”

Search efforts were launched in the cornfield once again the next morning.

“You don’t hear well in the corn,” a volunteer explained. “When somebody is yelling your name, you can hear them, but you don’t know where it’s coming.”

Finally, after three hours of searching that day, Remy was found safe, but she was not alone…

Rescuers were stunned to find that Fat Heath, the family’s pet terrier, had accompanied Remy on her late night adventure and had kept her safe the entire time! The dog ended up saving Remy when he heard the bark of a rescue dog and began barking back. Had Fat Heath not been with her, Remy may never have been found.

“The dogs yapping at each other is a neat little moment,” Parrot said.

Though they had spent the night outside, Remy and Fat Heath did not suffer any injuries!

“She was definitely exhausted, hot, really sweaty, and it took a while to drink anything,” Timber’s mother said.

“A lot of bites and a little thirsty, but she got a clean bill of health and was returned back to her home afterward,” Parrot confirmed.

In the end, Timber is just happy that Fat Heath was with Remy.

“She said she wasn’t scared because Fat Heath was there. If he wasn’t, I think she would’ve been terrified,” she said.

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