A little girl who had been missing for three days was found wandering along the side of a highway in Ontario on her own after her mother was charged with child abandonment.

Three-year-old Claire Bell vanished from near her Montreal home on Sunday, sparking a frantic search and rescue operation.

About 3pm Wednesday a drone operated by the Ontario Provinicial Police cited little Clare, walking along the side of Highway 417 by herself.

Officers rushed to the scene and were able to pick her up, unharmed. She was taken to a nearby hospital for further examination.

Éloïse Cossette, a spokesperson with the Sûreté du Québec, said: ‘She was speaking with the police officer, she was alive. We provided some first aid, water, and food.’

‘The priority is just to make sure she is okay.’

Claire’s mother, 34-year-old Rachel-Ella Todd, faced court minutes before her daughter was found, charged with child abandonment.

Todd was arrested and charged on Monday evening, a day after Claire vanished.

Three-year-old Claire Bell vanished from near her Montreal home on Sunday, sparking a frantic search and rescue operation

Her case has been adjourned until Friday and police are trying to track down a woman who works on a farm who may have met Todd prior to her daughter’s disappearance.

‘This woman would have met the suspect Sunday between 9:45 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. during the day, so she is an important witness,’ Cossette said.

On the day her daughter vanished, Todd shared a video on TikTok of herself holding little Claire in her arms, telling the camera: ‘Try that again, and this is going to get ugly.’

She captioned the video: ‘Have you come up against a mother with nothing to lose?’ along with the hashtags ‘narcissist’ and ‘threat.’

Police claim that hours after her daughter was last seen at 9.45am on Sunday, Todd parked her car and rushed into a store in Coteau-du-Lac to say that she had lost her daughter.

On Tuesday police had asked people to keep an eye out for a long-haired, reddish-brown chihuahua who may have been with Claire.

Claire’s mother, 34-year-old Rachel-Ella Todd, faced court minutes before her daughter was found, charged with child abandonment

Hours later, a dog matching that description was found dead near Highway 20 and Highway 30.

Authorities are expected to hold a press conference later on Wednesday to discuss the case.

‘All I can tell you right now is we’re happy that she’s alive. It’s the best scenario possible,’ Cossette said.

Premier François Legault also weighed in after her safe return, writing on X: ‘What a relief and joy to learn that little Claire Bell has been found safe and sound.’