Two Missing New Orleans Sisters Found in Woods Protected by Their Hero Family Dog

Hundreds of people searched for two New Orleans sisters after they went missing. Hours later, they were found unscathed in the woods, protected by their fiercely loyal family dog.

Dogs aren't called "a man's best friend" for no reason – they're the best, most loving companions, and are loyal and protective of their families. For the Bourg family in New Orleans, their family dog Artemis just proved how much he loved them by choosing to protect and guide his young owners when they got lost in the woods.

One moment, Mary Bourg was watching her young daughters Abigail, 7, and Cecilia, 4, playing in their yard, and the next, they were gone. The ever-adventurous sisters would often wander off into the woods near their family home and return shortly after, and Mary thought that was the case then.

Realizing Something Was Wrong

Mary waited for her daughters to come home from their adventure. However, when hours passed and they still had not returned, she started to worry and think that something bad had happened to her girls.

When she realized that it was getting dark and her daughters hadn't returned, Mary decided to call for a search and rescue team to help them bring their daughters back. Without a clue where they could have gone, Mary and her husband Justin had no choice but to hope and pray that their daughters were safe.

Little did they know Abigail and Cecilia had a fiercely loyal protector with them on their journey. Their family Golden Retriever Artemis never left the two girls' sides and made sure they were safe in those hours that they were missing.

Trying to Unwind Negative Thoughts

Admittedly, Mary started to think the worst when they hadn't found their girls after three hours. She and her husband Justin could not do anything but wait as responders exhausted all means possible to try and locate the children – they used drones, ATVs, helicopters, and even K-9 dogs to make the search easier for everyone.

When it started to get dark outside, Mary and Justin began to slip further into their dark thoughts. They tried not to let those thoughts consume them, because they couldn't handle them. It was hard for them to even think about what could have potentially happened to their darling daughters.

Instead, they prayed and strengthened their faith during the most challenging hours of their lives. Together, they believed that God would carry them through and return their daughters home safely with their dog Artemis.

The End of Their Worries

After about four hours, Abigail, Cecilia, and Artemis were found safe and unharmed. Justin admitted that when he saw his daughters, he cried so hard. "That's the most I've cried in twenty years," he said.

But while Abigail made the decision to stay in one place, many who rushed to the scene credited their dog Artemis for protecting the girls from any type of harm.

Before they were found, hundreds of people and police searched for the girls everywhere until they suddenly heard barking. It was the girls’ protector—their family retriever, Artemis, who had stayed by their side in the woods to keep them safe.

They Had a Fiercely Loyal Protector

Abigail was snuggled up next to Artemis when they were found, lying on top of her dog's belly, while Cecilia was lying on her older sister's stomach. They stayed in one place, with Abigail admitting that she and Cecilia just sat down and played games when she realized they were lost.

Mary and Justin couldn't help but think God's hand was at work throughout the ordeal, giving Abigail some direction by making her come to the decision to just stay in one place and not wander some more.

But while Abigail made the decision to stay in one place, many who rushed to the scene credited their dog Artemis for protecting the girls from any type of harm. In fact, when the girls were found, Artemis was growling and wouldn't let anyone near his family.

Grateful for the Help

By the end of it all, the Bourgs couldn't help but feel grateful for all the people who assisted them in finding their daughters. They knew it wasn't just them praying for the girls' safe return, as many were praying with them. She acknowledged:

“God heard everyone’s prayers, protected our babies, and sent them home safely.”

The following day, Mary and Justin made sure to press pause on life to simply be present with their children. The couple wanted to make sure to take time to reshift their focus back on what truly mattered in their lives—their family.

Click here to read about a Florida family who adopted a paralyzed dog that ended up teaching their baby how to crawl.