ANIMALS
Brave Hiker Rescues 55-Pound Hurt Dog, Carries Him Down the Mountain on Her Shoulders for 6 Hours
During a normal hike, a woman found a dog, rescued him, and brought him down the mountain, saving his life and turning the hike into an extraordinary experience.
Tia and her 76-year-old father hiked for three hours to reach the top of the mountain. On their way down, they found a hurt dog, but the owners were not around.
Tia said, “He was pretty beat up. He couldn’t walk.” Tia had a decision to make: either leave the hurt dog behind or accept the challenge of bringing it down the mountain.
Tia understood that the dog couldn’t manage the climb down the mountain on its own, so she decided to carry the 55-pound Springer Spaniel on her shoulders as they descended.
The way down became a real challenge, pushing Tia’s strength and determination. Maneuvering through snowy spots and tough terrain, the 6-mile journey lasted for 6.5 hours.
“We had to hike through the snow; we lost the trail at one point. It was one of the hardest things that I have done in my life,” explains Tia.
The dog’s weight and the tough journey were a lot for Tia to handle. Even though it was physically tough, she kept going with determination. At some point, she had to turn to prayer to finish the rest of the hike.
“I got underneath him to pick him up to go again and again and felt the tears coming. I said a little prayer at that point because the weight was hurting my neck, I had a really bad headache, and my legs just felt like they were going to crumble at any moment,” Tia shared.
As she went on, Tia felt the burden on her shoulders easing. She thought a lost hiker was giving her a hand. She looked back several times to check, but no one was there. That’s when she understood it was a divine force lending her support.
As Tia finished coming down the mountain, she discovered a note telling the story of the injured dog she carried, named Boomer.
When Tia contacted Boomer’s owners, she found out that they had let him off the leash while hiking, and he wandered onto a snowy cliff, slipping and falling from a one-hundred-foot drop. Amazingly, Boomer only hurt his front paw and was set to have surgery to help him use it again.
Later, Tia got another shock when Boomer’s owners, who were moving to Arizona, chose to find him a new home.
“It pulled at my heartstrings all night long. When I woke up the next day, my first thought was, ‘That dog’s supposed to be mine,’” explains Tia.
She sent a sincere message to the owners, telling them she wanted to keep Boomer with her.
Recognizing the strong bond that developed on the mountain, the owners agreed to Tia’s request. From that point on, Tia and Boomer became lifelong companions.
Their story shows how compassion and enduring connections can form in challenging times.