Desert Hero Rancher’s Dog Rescues Toddler Lost in the Desert
A tiny desert town along Route 66 in Arizona is home to a new hero — a big, shaggy ranch dog who rescued a toddler lost in the desert this past April.
from his ranch, with Buford’s paw prints beside them. “That’s what he does,” Dunton said of Buford. “He loves kids. I can imagine he wouldn’t leave him when he found him.” Dunton’s discovery of the little boy ended an anxious 16-hour search by more than 40 search-and-rescue volunteers, sheriff’s deputies, and state public-safety officers. Wearing only a tank top and pajama pants, Boden had wandered away at about 5 p.m. into rugged desert terrain, where two mountain lions were spotted later that night. Boden’s frantic parents had reported his absence to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office.
Two-year-old Boden Allen was missing from his Seligman, Arizona, home for 16 hours when a 6-year-old Anatolian Pyrenees named Buford appeared in his master’s driveway with the child at his side — 7 miles from Boden’s home. Buford’s owner, Scotty Dunton, had heard about the child’s disappearance. “I noticed my dog was sitting by the entrance (to his ranch),” he said, “and the little kid’s standing there with my dog!” He calmed the child, who was unharmed except for a few scrapes and nicks, and gave him water and food while calling authorities. Dunton was overjoyed. “I was ecstatic that he was okay and that my dog found him,” he said.
Dunton says he wasn’t surprised by Buford’s protective behavior. “He is a guardian dog. He patrols all night and keeps coyotes
away,” he says. The Anatolian Pyrenees is a crossbreed, a combination of a Great Pyrenees and an Anatolian shepherd, known for its intelligence, gentleness, and protective nature.
Dunton asked Boden if he had been walking all night, and the child told him no, he had been lying under a tree. “Did my dog find you?” Dunton asked Boden.
In appreciation for their neighborhood hero, Buford’s admirers piled chew toys, bones, and other gifts on Dunton’s doorstep for days after the rescue.
He wasn’t surprised when the child said yes. Dunton traced the little boy’s tracks more than a mile
Job Hunting With a Criminal Record KNOW YOUR RIGHTS BEFORE YOU APPLY Looking for a job is stressful enough without worrying about what might appear on a background check. If you have a criminal record, it’s natural to wonder whether it could hold you back. The truth is, it depends. A record can complicate things, but doesn’t always close the door. You still have options.
In Texas, many employers run background checks, especially for permanent positions. But they can’t look at your entire life history in most cases. If a job pays less than $75,000 a year, they are generally limited to reviewing the last seven years of criminal history. For higher-paying jobs, they may go back further. People often misunderstand that employers can’t hold an arrest against you if it didn’t lead to a conviction. If you were charged but found not guilty, or if the case was dismissed, that should not factor into their decision. What they can consider are convictions and guilty or no-contest pleas. Still, not every employer applies these rules in the same way. Some are more flexible about giving people a second chance. Others may be less forgiving. That is why it helps to know what shows up on your record and what you can do about it.
In some cases, it’s possible to clear your record through expunction. If you qualify, your arrest will be erased, and you can legally say it never happened. If you are not eligible for expunction, you might still qualify for an order of nondisclosure. That seals the record from public view, which keeps most employers from seeing it. Whether each option is possible depends on the details of your case. This is one area where it pays to get good legal advice. If you are unsure what might come up on a background check or want to explore clearing your record, talk to someone who knows the process inside and out. Having a record does not mean you are out of the running for a good job. Many Texans with past mistakes on their records have gone on to build strong careers. It takes some effort and patience, but there is a way forward. Knowing your rights and options is a good place to start.
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