In June, a two-year-old girl named Charlee Campbell disappeared from her grandparent’s home in the rural town of Lebanon Junction, Kentucky. Charlee Campbell, who was known to her family as “Mo”, had been asleep when her grandfather left for work early that morning but just a few hours later her grandmother woke to find her missing. The toddler disappeared with her best friend and family dog pit bull Penny.
It was then that the girl’s grandmother, Beth Campbell, saw that the front door was open.
Police officers, firefighters and sniffer dogs were drafted in to start the search, which included a large wooded area near to Charlee’s home.
Over 100 volunteers also joined the search, but almost two days passed and still there was no trace of Charlee or Penny.
The whole area was covered in posters and pictures of Charlee, who was last seen wearing blue “Frozen” pajamas.
Everyone in the small community was helping in the hunt for the missing girl, which had captured not only the attention of local media but national too.
It was a little blonde girl, covered in scratches, tick bites and leaves in her hair, according to Wayne.
He called to his son who recognized her clothing from the description and immediately called the police.
Wayne thanked God that Charlee hadn’t suffered the same fate.
But the story would soon take another unexpected turn.
Just minutes before Charlee appeared on Wayne’s property, her pit bull Penny had returned home to Beth.
Beth believes that Penny stopped at Charlee’s side the whole time she was away and made sure the 2-year-old was safe.
“This is our hero,” says Beth, hugging Penny. Penny didn’t come home until she knew Charlee was safe.
Charlee was taken to Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville to recover from the ordeal.
The little girl is enjoying lots of treats back with her family and even Penny is enjoying a hamburger or two, as the cherished pet that kept their little Charlee safe.
Charlee’s mother Natalie Quick wanted to thank all of the volunteers and emergency crews who helped with the search for her daughter.
