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Newly adopted dog stays by owner's side after she wandered from home, went missing for 48 hours

Pearl Radcliffe had been missing since Wednesday. She was found on unconscious on a sidewalk. Police said her dog never left her side.

HOUSTON — An 84-year-old woman who had been missing since Wednesday has been found, police said.

Pearl Radcliffe's nephew got a call Friday afternoon before 5 p.m. that she was at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital. Police said she was found unconscious on a sidewalk on Beechnut Street. 

She is currently doing well, officials said.

Pearl's black lab mix named Maximus, who was also missing, was right by her side when she was found.

EquuSearch volunteers were on their way to Pearl's home Friday afternoon to help with the search efforts before her nephew, Dawne Griffith, got the good news. 

"You found her," Dawne could be heard saying on the phone with the hospital. 

Her family told KHOU 11 that Pearl had adopted Maximus, the dog who stayed by her side the entire time, just over a week before she went missing.

After getting a chance to visit with Pearl, Dawne said she's doing well, but doesn't remember much of what happened. He said the family is now looking for better ways to keep her safe.

Angelina Farris with EquuSearch said there are several measures a family can take to help protect a loved one with a tendency to wander.

"Cameras, even just knowing what direction the person took, can save us a bunch of time because any minute that passes is a danger to them," Farris said.

She said even adding tracking devices or sharing their location on their phone could also help.

"I think taking action is the priority really when it comes to these types of cases," she said.

RELATED: Project Lifesaver helps find missing people in Harris County

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What to do when someone goes missing

Thousands of people go missing every year across the United States, and there are organizations and law enforcement agencies that work to bring them home to loved ones.

The Texas Center for the Missing is an organization with Houston roots that works to educate loved ones and authorities on finding the lost. 

From resources that deal with missing children to endangered adults, the non-profit organization has compiled a wealth of resources to help. 

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