A hiker in Oregon carried out a noble work by reuniting a pet dog with its owner who got lost in the woods. Sotry that started with confusion and ended with emotional reunion.
The name of the hiker is reportedly Jason Hawkins who is also a backpacker and YouTuber from Colorado. Hawkins was hiking through the woods in Umpqua Hot Springs, Oregon that is located about 250 miles southeast of Portland, around 4 p.m. PT on Sept. 17, when he found a lost dog.
Hawkins told reporters that “after hiking a short while, I spotted a dog barely visible out in the woods.” He further said, “I tried to approach him, but he kept running deeper. I knew he wouldn’t do well out there, so I followed him until I finally found him, lying down and tired.”
He has told reporters over email that a group of girls in there even asked him if he was missing a dog as he was filling out payment slips at the trailhead. However, he also said that he didn’t “think much of it at the time because they seemed to have it under control, but it did put (him) on a little higher alert, thankfully.” He continued saying, “They must’ve given up when he ran off because I did not see them again and spotted the dog alone pretty far off the trail.”
As per some available video footage, the dog sat on the forest floor looking scared and skittish, and his name and gender cannot be decoded. In the video, Hawkins stated that he tried to approach the dog, but he instead ran away deeper into the woods.
However, Hawkins didn’t leave him either, as he followed the dog, and the two ended up pretty deep in the woods. And then, gradually Hawkins was able to build a rapport and gain the dog’s trust, and also went close to him, eventually containing the pup by using a tripod as a makeshift leash.
After securing the dog, they walked back to the parking lot. Even after being tired, Hawkins could think and texted the pooch’s owner using the number on the dog’s tag. The time span of the full incident was more than an hour and a half. The owners quickly came to the parking lot after receiving the text from Hawkins, though Hawkins said that he’s not sure if “they saw the text or if they were just actively looking.”
Hawkins also stated that dog’s owner started crying as soon as she saw her pet, gave a tight hug, and also showered it with all the love and cuddles. “She was very emotional, so didn’t talk much other than saying thank you a few times,” Hawkins said. “I could tell she was worried sick and loved that dog immensely, which warmed my heart even more.”
