Mum arrested on child neglect charges after missing toddler's found guarded by family dog

The mum of a two-year-old boy who went missing with the family dog has been charged with child neglect.

Twenty-one-year-old Chelsea Noble woke up at 10am on Wednesday to find her young son William Odom (who had been sleeping next to her) had disappeared.

When the mother-of-two woke up at 10am she discover her son William Odom (who had been sleeping next to her) was missing.

Harrison County Sheriff Troy Peterson told local Mississippi news station WLOX News the toddler had only been wearing a diaper and was being tested for autism.

They also revealed he is mostly nonverbal and was not responding to searchers calling his name.

The rescue efforts were launched immediately by air land and sea, with a department helicopter, K9 units, and ATVs from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks joining the search, in addition to the local community scouring the area.

The two-year-old was found safe and well several hours later - far from home but guarded by their family dog.

The search was called off around 4pm when 10-year-old Blake Carroll returned home from school and heard a child crying in an abandoned ute, where the pet pooch was also found.

“Every time we found his footprint, we found the dog footprint right beside him. So the dog traveled with him all day," Peterson said.

"When the little boy was found the dog was still circling the truck and scratching on the truck."

Before being arrested and charged, Chelsea had spoken to WLOX to praise the Labrador Pitbull mix, named Jezebel, saying: "She saved my baby".

“Ever since she was a puppy, they've always been close. He loves being with her, he loves bathing her, that's his dog.”

William only suffered minor cuts, grazes and ant bites after wandering around for almost seven hours.

Chelsea was charged with misdemeanor child neglect for failing to properly supervise her son and was taken to Harrison County jail, where bail was set at $1,500.

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