Lost Seven-Year-Old Boy Cuddled With Dog to Stay Warm - East Idaho News
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Lost Seven-Year-Old Boy Cuddled With Dog to Stay Warm

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policesiren?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1392561758103iStock/Thinkstock(CORDOVA, Tenn.) — A little Tennessee boy who became trapped and hidden from view while walking his dog survived cold temperatures for 14 hours by cuddling with his dog.

Dominic Jeffries, 7, was walking his dog Coco in his front yard when she pulled him from the home and eventually they both slipped behind a cement retainer wall that was covered in brush. Unable to climb out Dominic had wait in the cold until help could arrive.

Dominic remained stuck behind the retainer wall during a cold night in Cordova, Tenn., wearing a camouflage jacket and large fur hat.

His legal guardian Robbyne Manning said that they searched the area near where Dominic was stuck many times. but never saw him behind the leaves. While Dominic heard his name and saw police lights he didn’t respond.

“He said he heard us and saw the blue lights and thought he was in trouble,” Manning told ABCNews.com. “When he used to be with his parents, blue lights mean you’re in trouble.”

Dominic was only a few blocks from home, but he was missing for approximately 14 hours during a cold night when the temperature dipped below freezing.

Manning said to keep warm, Dominic started to hug Coco, a black Shih Tzu. However as the night wore on, the dog started to get cold and Dominic took off his jacket to warm up the dog. Eventually worried that the dog would get too cold, Dominic took off her leash so that she would hopefully go home and get help.

For another three hours Dominic stayed in the cold by himself. When his shoes and socks became wet, he took them off and put his gloves on his feet.

Eventually as daylight broke, a police officer spotted Dominic.

“He was just happy,” Manning said of Dominic when he was found.

After his ordeal Dominic got his own badge from the police and told Manning he wants to be a police officer to help “people who get lost.”

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