Although pit bulls have a less than stellar reputation in America, one loving canine has been proudly called a "hero."

On June 8, two-year-old Charlee Campbell her grandmother's dog, Penny, went missing in Lebanon Junction, Kentucky.

The pair were gone for nearly two days before Beth Campbell, Charlee's grandmother, saw Penny running towards her from the hills behind her home.

According to Beth, she knew "God is listening to us. He is listening," when she saw her dog, and instinctively knew that her granddaughter  wasn't too far behind.  

It wouldn't be long until the Bullitt County sheriff informed the Beth that her granddaughter had been found safe less than a mile away. Although the toddler was dehydrated and covered in ticks, she was in relatively good health.

"By the grace of God and everyone that helped, she's (safe), and that's all that matters," Beth shared. "... I can't even explain how happy that I am that this baby is home because I love her more than anything in this world."

Neighbors, volunteers, and search and rescue crews looked for Charlee for 36 hours before she was found on her neighbor's porch, dressed in the same Frozen t-shirt she was last seen in.

"I"m convinced that God led her to our porch," Brown said on Saturday. "I don't know why me. It could've been anyone. But no one will convince me otherwise "” I believe with all my heart that it was the Lord, Jesus Christ, who brought her up on that porch and let her be found by us."

"There's so much evil and so much wicked in this word, and people doing ungodly things to these kids. To find one safe and unharmed? I can't express it," Brown added. "There are no words, except God."

While it's a miracle that Charlee was found safe and sound, some people are stunned the missing toddler was able to beat the odds of survival.

"I can't believe she survived it," Bullitt County Sheriff Donnie Tinnell told Fox 19. "There's coyotes in them hills. There's copperheads and rattlesnakes and ticks, all the elements. And somehow she came out in pretty good shape," Tinnell said.

Although officials aren't sure if Charlee and Penny were in the woods the entire time, with the help of bloodhounds, they plan to conduct a foot search to determine where the duo wandered off to before they were found.

"I'm not for sure going to say what I think happened. I don't know," Tinnell explained. "But we can get some answers with some continued investigation and that's what we're going to do."

The FBI have interviewed several members of the girl's family, but no arrests have been made.

"She is our life, our life revolves around her," Campbell said. "... I just couldn't imagine my life without her, and I don't want to."

As for Penny, she's been pampered with a few extra treats, including hamburgers.

"This is our hero right here," Beth said. "When my dog didn't come home, and my baby wasn't home, she was not going to leave that baby until she got here."

For more heroic pet stories, check out these uplifting articles:

• Hero Police Dog Recovering After Taking A Bullet For His Handler
• Bullies Move In To Beat Up Little Boy, But His Hero Cat Saves The Day
• Hero Dog Saves The Lives Of 2 Girls Struck By Lightning

[H/T: Courier Journal, Fox 19]