When we have a dog in our life, we will go to great lengths to make sure that they are happy, healthy and comfortable at all times. There are also efforts that we will put forth, even if the dog is not part of our family. After all, we realize how much dogs can mean to their owners and how much joy they bring to the lives of others. That isn’t even to mention the fact that we are looking at a precious life and we want to ensure that they are cared for, regardless of whether they are part of our family or not.
How far would you go to save a dog if it wasn’t in your family? It is a question that deserves at least some consideration, and perhaps you might think about it while you are looking at the story of a single mother, Tia Vargas. People are calling her a hero after she did something amazing while she was on a strenuous hike. She saw an injured dog and rather than simply passing by, she decided to rescue him.
The mother of three was out to hike Table Rock Trail with her 76-year-old father, Ted Kasper last year. It was difficult getting to the summit so Kasper waited down from the peak while his daughter continued to climb.
She was coming down off of the 11,106 foot summit to meet him when she saw the dog limping with other hikers.
The English Springer spaniel was not a part of their family but it was clear that he was injured. She knew that he belonged to someone and after looking at his collar, she saw that his name was ‘Boomer’.
Vargas was told by the hikers that they found a note at the bottom of the trail talking about a lost dog. They left the dog tag in place and since they were on their way up the mountain, there were going to take him back to his owner when they were on their way down.
Fortunately, for Boomer, Vargas was on her way down the mountain. That led to a problem, however, because Boomer weighed 55 pounds and wasn’t able to walk on his own. He was injured, dehydrated and had a dislocated foot. Vargas had to hike down the mountain with the dog on her shoulders.
As you can imagine, she was already exhausted from climbing to the summit but she managed to find the strength to save Boomer. At 40 years old, she picked him up and walked him down the mountain to meet up with her father.
Vargas said that her father chuckled when he saw the two of them coming.
“He laughed and said, ‘You don’t think this hike is hard enough without carrying a heavy dog, too?’ And I told him, ‘Dad, this dog is lost and hurt. There’s nobody else. I can do this.’”
The trail that they were on was difficult and they got lost two times amidst the snow and debris before they made it down the slope with Boomer. The dog even had to slide down the mountain on her lap at one point.
When it began raining they weren’t sure how much more they could take.
“I was in tears, thinking that I’d have to leave that dog behind,” she said. “And I didn’t want him to die.”
She had a strong desire to save the dog so she mustered up her strength and continued going.
“I said a little prayer and I picked up Boomer and it literally felt like someone had walked up behind me and lifted the weight off my shoulders.”
After over six hours of hiking, they reached the bottom and found a note that was left behind. She called his owners and found that they had taken him hiking but he wandered away and fell down a slope. They couldn’t find him and were forced to leave a note.
That wasn’t the end of the story between Boomer and Vargas.
Boomer’s owners were planning to move and they could take him along with them. They asked Vargas if she was willing to keep him.
She wasn’t looking to get a dog but she felt it was important to keep him.
“I feel like there’s a reason why I was on the mountain at the very moment that he needed somebody to help. Both of us had a guardian angel that day,” she said.
Boomer is now doing well in his forever home.
You can see more in this interview video:
Source: Relieved