THE three dogs that kept missing Riley Martin warm during the night returned home this morning one by one.

The last of them to have arrived was Missy a ten month old kelpie while Nitro, 3, and Bruno, 2, had returned earlier.

A family cousin Paula Howle said they stayed with him all night “they were very thirsty and covered in ticks, “Ms Howle said.

The couple Leif O’Brien and Sally Pratley, who found missing Riley, had travelled from Kempsey after they read about his disappearance on Facebook.



They telephoned police and asked what they could do to help out who informed the couple they could come and help.



"We have children of our own, that’s why we came up,” Ms Pratley wept.



Between them the couple have eight children, aged between 20 and 8.



They searched until 1am this morning and stayed the night in the back of their car before resuming the search at 5am.

"We heard a dog bark and ran towards it and found him face down curled up underneath a bush,” Ms Pratley told The Daily Telegraph.



"We didn’t know if he was alive until he turned his head and we were so relieved.



"He was freezing cold.



"We kept giving him assurance and told him we were taking him back to his mum.



Riley’s mother Bianca Graham thanked the couple for finding her boy.



"Thankyou so much, you saved my life and his too, you saved our lives,” Ms Graham said.



"You are such good people.”



When Ms Graham was reunited with her missing son Riley Martin she held him repeating over and over "my baby, my baby, my baby”.

"Where have you been bubba,” Ms Graham said.



"I knew you weren’t gone and were coming home.”

Riley spent the night cuddled with one of his beloved dogs as a major search was launched for the four-year-old this morning.

The four-year-old, who has down syndrome, and his three dogs were last seen at the family home in Short St, Nambucca Heads, at midday yesterday.



The boy was found sleeping with his dogs.



A NSW Police spokesman said Riley appeared to be in good health.



"It appears everything is going to be okay,'' he said this morning.



Riley's mum Bianca Graham was unable to describe her elation when she discovered her boy had been spotted.



"I feel like I'm the happiest I've ever been,'' she told Channel 10.



"This feels better than anything.



"He's been seen asleep with the dogs...I don't care about the dogs, they can go to the pound for all I care. As long as my Riley comes home.''



Earlier, police and volunteers searched the surrounding areas yesterday afternoon but were unsuccessful.

He disappeared from his Nambucca Heads home with his three dogs - a kelpie and two fox terriers - at midday on Wednesday.

His relieved mother Bianca Graham said news of her son being alive made her "the happiest I have ever felt''

Originally published as Dog bark helped couple find Riley