The Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office says a 3-year-old boy who wandered away from his home has been reunited with his family thanks to their family dog and a helpful neighbor.

Police received a call from the boy’s mother who told officials her 3-year-old son was playing outside with his siblings and wandered away. The mother said that the family’s dog, Buddy, was also missing and believed to be with the child.

Deputies, along with K9 units from Suwannee Correctional Institution, searched for the boy around their home. Shortly after the search, a nearby neighbor called 911 and said that he found a small child and dog in the woods, but the dog wouldn’t let him get near the child.

“Fortunately, we were able to reunite the child with his mother, thanks in part to ‘man’s best friend’ and an alert neighbor,” deputies wrote on Facebook.