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3-year-old found safe with dog after spending nearly 24 hours in the woods

3-year-old found safe with dog after spending nearly 24 hours in the woods
Posted at 12:03 PM, Aug 19, 2020
and last updated 2020-08-19 12:07:08-04

A 3-year-old girl was found safe after spending almost 24 hours in the woods on her own.

Abby Ladwig went missing August 9, along with her family’s dog Peanut. Abby lives in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, in the northern section of the state and surrounded by forests. Local media reports the girl walked away while her father stepped inside for a few minutes.

Her mother, Lisa Koch, posted on Facebook along with pictures of Abby and Peanut. In her initial post, she asks for help in finding Abby, who was last seen walking with the dog.

Hundreds of volunteers, law enforcement officers, helicopters and canines spent the day searching for her.

The following evening, on August 10, Abby and Peanut walked out of the woods into a neighboring yard, a short distance from her own home, according to the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Department.

Abby was found safe, with only minor scrapes and bruises. Neighbors recalled the young girl wasn’t upset when she walked out of the woods, and asked “where’s my mama?”

"She's happy, she's very tired, very sore. She said she followed the dog, she was in the woods and slept in the woods," Abby's aunt, Johnna Ludack, told KBJR6.com.

Peanut was also found, but according to family friends who organized a GoFundMeaccount, is having trouble walking and is in pain.