Dog Rescues 2-Year-Old Girl From An ‘Attempted Kidnapping’ While On Family Outing

May 25, 2022

Being in the right place at the right time can make all the difference. This is something that one family found to be true when their dog came to the rescue to save a 2-year-old girl from being kidnapped by a pair of two potential abductors.

Every parent’s worst nightmare is losing a child. There is an immense amount of danger and uncertainty in the world, so it is incredibly important to keep an eye on kids while they play outside, travel to new areas and other moments when they have no parental supervision. This is just one of the many reasons why it’s also critical to teach children about the potential dangers of interacting with strangers.

However, many kidnappings or attempted kidnappings are planned and undertaken by people that the child knows, such as a family member, family friend or acquaintance. Another troubling fact is that some abductions can take place right in front of someone else, including a child’s very own mother or father or the person who is watching them at the time.

This was the case for one family in Hampshire, England, on May 11, 2022. A pair of men attempted to kidnap a 2-year-old girl who was with her mother. Fortunately for the family, they had a brave furry friend who quickly came to the little girl’s rescue. While one man tried to get away with the 2-year-old, the family pet quickly caught up to him and saved the 2-year-old child. 

Read on to learn more about this story and find information about keeping kids safe from potential abductions.

No parent wants to think about something bad happening to their child. However, it’s better to be safe than sorry and to find ways to be prepared even during stressful times filled with uncertainty. According to Parents, a child in the United States becomes missing or is abducted every 40 seconds. 

A study from 1998 showed that about 75% of parents surveyed feared that their child might be abducted at some point in their life. By the end of 2017, the missing persons file from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) contained more than 32,000 records of missing or abducted children under the age of 18.

According to Parents, there are three types of kidnapping: family kidnapping, acquaintance kidnapping and stranger kidnapping. Family kidnapping is usually committed by parents and typically involves female perpetrators. This type of kidnapping most frequently occurs to children under the age of 6. Acquaintance kidnapping has the largest percentage of female and teenage victims and usually occurs at residences. 

Stranger kidnapping primarily occurs at outdoor locations, and the targets are usually school-aged girls or female teenagers. However, young boys can still be at risk in any of these scenarios. According to Parents, the first contact between a child and the abductor occurs within a quarter-mile of the kid’s home in 80% of stranger kidnappings.

On May 11, 2022, a pair of men attempted to kidnap a 2-year-old girl in The Mount, Ringwood, Hampshire, during the late morning. According to the Daily Mail, the girl’s mother had been out with her and their pet dog when they were approached by the two men who claimed they were interested in seeing their dog.

However, it was clear that the men had lied about their intentions the moment they got close to the child. According to the Daily Mail, one of the men picked up the 2-year-old and began running away with her and toward a nearby housing estate.

Thankfully, the little girl was rescued by her trusty pet as the family dog was able to catch up with the abductor easily and bit him on the leg.

A spokesperson for the Hampshire Police said:

“The young girl, and her mother, are being supported by specialist officers who are at this early stage trying to ascertain the exact circumstances of what happened and they are currently dealing with it as an attempted kidnapping.”

According to the Daily Mail, police were still searching for the suspects, who have been described as white men in their late 30s, about 5 feet 7 inches tall. They were both wearing caps and jeans, by May 25.

Detective Inspector Janine Bradley was taking the incident “very seriously” and working hard to show the public the police force’s efforts. “We fully appreciate that this incident will have a significant impact on the community,” she said. “Our officers are carrying out extensive inquiries in the local area – including house-to-house visits, scoping CCTV and there will be high-visibility patrols in the area to reassure the community.”

The Daily Echo reported that Bradley encouraged community members to come forward with any information they had and to check their own security cameras or doorbell cameras for any potential footage. She also encouraged folks to be alert of their surroundings.

Were you aware of these facts? Let us know, and be sure to pass this information along to any parent or guardian you know.