The Family Dog Stayed by This Toddler's Side While He Was Lost in the Woods For 9 Hours

A 3-year-old boy has a best friend for life in the form of a loyal Dachshund mix named Banjo. The dog, whom the family saved from a shelter two years ago, returned the favor by keeping little Mason Ryan alive for nine straight hours while alone in the woods.

The Virginia toddler had wandered barefoot out of the house, following his dad who was driving away, and into the woods a few miles near their home. After he'd gone missing, hundreds of people searched for Mason, but it was Banjo who saved the day.

"He brought my son back," Blake Ryan, Mason's father, told a local NBC news affiliate. "He stayed with him through the woods and didn't let him out of his sight and let the people know where he was."

Mason was discovered at 3 a.m. with the dog by his side. Now that deserves a treat, right?