Dog Adopted Just Days Before Elderly Owner Went Missing—What He Did Next Is Amazing
A dog adopted only days earlier proved to be a hero when his elderly owner went missing. Pearl Radcliff, an 84-year-old woman with dementia, was reported missing from her Houston, TX home, prompting authorities to issue a silver alert and launch a search with the help of her family.
Pearl’s nephew, Dwayne Griffith, received a call two days after his aunt’s disappearance with information that she had been found and was being transferred to a local hospital. Pearl had been found laying on a sidewalk, unconscious but thankfully safe and alive. With Pearl was her dog, a beautiful black pitbull mix named Maximus.
According to authorities, Maximus had remained by Pearl’s side throughout her 48-hour disappearance, likely protecting her and giving her comfort. While dog lovers won’t have trouble imagining their loyal pups following them to the ends of the earth, what makes this story so remarkable is that Maximus was adopted just over a week before Pearl disappeared.
Pearl had adopted Maximus exactly 9 days before she left her home, and yet the two had already formed a strong and loving bond that kept the pup by her side.
Pearl has recently begun suffering from memory loss and dementia, which can cause disorientation, confusion, and impulsive behavior. It appears that Pearl wandered from her home, became disoriented, and was unable to find her way back. Luckily, Maximus was there to keep an eye on her until she was found.
Maximus was kept overnight by animal control while Pearl was evaluated at a local hospital, but he is now safely back with the family and will be cherished for the rest of his life for the role he played in bringing Pearl home.
Interested in learning more about black pitbulls and what it’s like to have one? I’ve got a whole blog about it that you can read here!
