A fun hike between a woman and her father turned into a dog rescue when they encountered an injured Springer Spaniel.
In 2018, while Tia and her elderly father were descending from their hike, they came across a wounded dog.
Seeing no owners around, Tia realized the urgency and knew they had to act to save the dog.
Tia’s incredible act of carrying the 55-pound dog to safety has gained worldwide attention.
Her interview on Pickler and Ben’s YouTube channel about the
remarkable dog rescue has garnered over 140,000 views, where she discusses the
motivation behind her heroic deed.
“The dog was with another family who had discovered him,”
Tia recalled.
Tia recounted that the family who found the dog asked her if
it belonged to her, to which she said “No.”
They were unsure what to do because they had young children
with them who had never hiked this hike before.”
When the family couldn’t, Tia stepped up, carrying the 55lb
dog on a six-hour trek to safety.
Despite the dog’s inability to walk and uncertainty about how long it had been stranded, Tia persisted in rescuing it and seeking help.
Yet, Tia encountered significant hurdles on the journey back to civilization.
They got lost twice, struggled to locate the trail, and found themselves caught between two rivers.
Even with her athleticism, carrying the 55lb dog for six miles proved exhausting.
Tia’s legs grew weary from traversing rough terrain and dense underbrush.
She paused frequently to rest, and after praying, Tia felt a “divine intervention,” making the dog’s weight seem lighter.
During their descent, Tia and her father fed Boomer, who was hungry.
Despite not drinking, Boomer frequently consumed snow.
Tia’s dad shared his sandwich, and she gave Boomer some crackers, as reported by ABC News.
At around six in the evening, Vargas and her father finally reached the bottom of the slope after more than six hours of carrying Boomer.
There, they discovered a sign from Boomer’s family, who had
lost him, pleading with hikers to contact them if Boomer was found.
The family was distraught, with their children in tears,
fearing they had lost Boomer forever.
Upon being contacted, their immediate concern was Boomer’s
well-being.
They were relieved to hear he was alive, although their
9-year-old child could be heard crying in the background.
The family recounted Boomer’s tragic accident to Tia.
While hiking with his owners, Boomer slipped on a snow
crevice, plummeting down a 100ft cliff and then tumbling another 200ft.
Despite his owners’ frantic descent down the mountain, they
reached the bottom only to find Boomer missing.
Boomer’s owners searched for him until darkness fell but had to admit they couldn’t find him.
They feared he might have perished after seeking refuge in a bush.
Tia discovered that Boomer’s owners were moving to Arizona, and their hike was a farewell outing with Boomer before handing him over to new owners.
Originally, they intended to sell Boomer to a man in need of a hunting dog, as reported by the Daily Mail.
However, Tia couldn’t shake off her attachment to the affectionate dog she had bonded with during the hike.
Tia confessed that the image of the injured dog lingered in her mind all night, evoking strong emotions. Upon waking up the following day, her immediate feeling was, ‘That dog is meant to be mine”.
Thankfully, Boomer’s owners agreed to let Tia become his new owner.
This choice resulted in a notable improvement in his condition, despite requiring surgery.
Tia’s timely rescue of the injured dog played a pivotal role in saving Boomer’s life, showcasing her extraordinary kindness.
Thanks to her intervention, Boomer is now alive and thriving.
Watch Tia’s inspiring interview about the rescue of the injured dog:
