WATCH – ‘Our Hero’: Massachusetts Neighbor Helps Find Dog Missing for 16 Days

A dog in Duxbury, Massachusetts, who recently had a 16-day solo adventure, has been returned to his family.

Stephanie Mansfield was elated Monday when she finally had her beloved soft-coated wheaten terrier named Henry back where he belongs, WCVB reported.

According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), the breed is friendly, happy, and deeply devoted, so it is easy to see why Mansfield has an attachment to her sweet pup, which had been missing since August 19.

The club also says the dog breed is “just stubborn enough to remind you he’s a terrier.”

Mansfield had nearly given up on finding him when she contacted a group called Missing Dogs Massachusetts, which helped in the search by putting out fliers. Those ads eventually caught neighbor Kevin Bownes’ eye.

The man recalled hearing barking beyond the rear of his house and went to investigate on Sunday evening, when he came upon a creature many people were worried was lost forever.

“Luckily for Henry the dog, he kept on barking. He was in an area of tall weeds, a swampy area, and he was surrounded by a canal,” Bownes explained, adding the mischievous pup was trapped in deep mud but otherwise appeared unharmed.

Early Monday, Bownes helped Mansfield find the site and the rescue commenced. Bownes said he and the woman were emotional but so relieved to have found him.

Mansfield later admitted the dog’s bark used to annoy her, but it was his vocal nature that ultimately saved his life.

“Henry, lost dog from Duxbury is safe! After more than 2 weeks with no sightings, barking was heard in a nearby neighborhood for the past 2 days. This morning a local homeowner, Kevin, was able to safely retrieve Henry from a wet boggy area,” Missing Dogs Massachusetts said in a social media post Monday.

Bownes was especially eager to help in the rescue because the group helped find his beloved dog a few years ago.

“Kevin’s our hero,” Mansfield stated.

Social media users were ecstatic over the good news, one person writing, “So glad Henry was found and is safe. I’m Sure he is going to get a lot of loving and care.”

A similar instance occurred in July when a dog in Utah was found and returned to its owner thanks to a homeless man with a keen eye and a kind heart, Breitbart News reported.