A family in New Zealand was extremely concerned after their senior dog went missing. But, they were left speechless when she returned home, with a touching note around her neck from him!

Since he was a puppy of a few weeks, Louie has lived with Marolyn Diver’s parents on their farm. The adorable sheepdog had always been a very energetic pup, so he used to roam the family property all day. However, things have changed as Louie has grown older and now, at 12 years old, the oldest would rather hang out in the house than explore the neighborhoods.

So when Louie went missing for several hours one day, his family was very concerned, and for good reason. It happened exactly when Marolyn had visited her parents, who were nothing if not worried because they now had an idea where Louie might be. But, later in the afternoon, everyone was surprised to see the old dog come home with a handwritten note around his neck.

“He seemed so exhausted and had basically collapsed,” Marolyn shared with THE DODO. “We were concerned that someone might have hurt him. But after reading the note I felt complete and utter relief, then my heart melted.»

The note proclaimed the dog a hero.

Rob, who is also a farmer, is one of Marolyn’s parents’ neighbors, and Maddy is her little dog. Shortly after reading the note, her parents contacted Rob by phone asking for details. It turns out that Maddy was also missing that day and after Rob searched everywhere for her, when she got home she saw Louie at her house. The dog insisted that Rob follow him. The man trusted the dog’s instincts and surprisingly led him exactly where Maddy was.

Exhausted after the rescue, Louie could barely lift his head out of bed that day, let alone eat or drink water. His poor condition made his parents worry even more. But miraculously everything went back to normal the other day when Rob and Maddy decided to pay them a visit.

“The next morning, Rob came up on his bike with Maddy in a little basket on the back,” Marolyn said. «Louie perked up and was back to normal.»