Two missing girls and their golden retriever were reunited with the family Monday night.
The girls were reported missing around 5 p.m. Authorities said they had last been seen playing in their front yard in southern Louisiana.
Numerous volunteers and law enforcement agencies joined the search for the girls. They were found about a mile from their home.
"Well, we have a happy ending. We found these two children that were missing for over four hours here in a wooded area, rural area of St. Tammany Parish," said Sheriff Randy Smith.
Officials did not say why the girls wandered away.
They did not appear injured as they hugged their family upon being reunited.
"The outpouring of support and assistance was overwhelming,” the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook.
