Three Hikers Rescue A Sunken Pup From An Australian Creek

They just went for a hike in the Australian bush—the husband, wife and father. What they found there was heartwrenching… What they did was heartwarming.

1. Is That A Dog?!

A woman, her husband and his father took a hike to a secluded section of Mt. Glorious National Park, north of Brisbane in Australia. They were looking for rock pools, but instead found something else. The water moved strangely. They carefully and quietly approached to get a better look. It was pup! He was stuck in the cold water, and he looked exhausted from failed attempts at getting out.

2. Exhausted And Cold

Questions abound. What could they do? Was this dog domesticated? Was it wild? Would it attack if they helped it out? And how could they get it out of the water? They had to try, because the dog was so sad and they knew its time was limited. No way it would survive the night. With a big stick ready to defend themselves, the trio looped a rope around its shoulders and pulled.

3. Dry Land!

The pooch was not aggressive at all. It let them pull it up on the rocks, and then they saw that she was, in fact, a desexed she. That meant she was probably somebody’s lost dog. She slowly walked up the bank and into the bush. This was no place for a little dog. The gully was 5km from the closest house and the terrain made it nearly impossible for her to claw her way back to civilization.

4. Now What?

They knew they had to get her out, but how? First, they sat next to the dejected, exhausted pup so she’d be comfortable with them. They inched closer. The woman attempted to scratch the dog’s head and the pup responded by licking her hand. As they sat and got acquainted with their new friend, dubbed Miss Piggy because of her surprising mass, they developed a plan to get Miss Piggy out.

5. Plan A

The family pulled out their climbing ropes, knowing full-well this dog would not be able to get very far walking by her own strength. Retracing their steps laden with large rocks and waterholes did not seem wise. They decided to aim for the road above them, and they would carry Miss Piggy. Crafting a makeshift harness with non-slip knots, they began their steep ascent up the bank.

6. I Don’t Like Plan A

Climbing the bank carrying the pooch was no easy task. Loose rocks and laced with vine, the hill was quite a challenge. Miss Piggy did not make things easier, either as she squirmed and fought, freeing herself from the harness. She made a slow break getaway but did not get far. Here she is, defeated.

7. Got Any Other Ideas?

As they worked on Plan B, they also worked on calming Miss Piggy after her ordeal (the failed escape). After some patting and petting, the pooch pulled up to her female savior and rested on her lap. Affection. Appreciation? Whatever, it was, it was a good sign. And then the back-up plan took form…the form of a bag. She needed to be carried out of there. But where would they find a bag?

8. Plan B

There was a big, canvass bag in the car, and the car was a 15-minute walk away. 30 minutes later, the husband returned and everybody figured out a way to carry the dog in the bag up the bank. They searched the surroundings and got an idea. First things, first, they had to maneuver Miss Piggy into place. She fit!

9. So Far, So Good

She didn’t earn the name Miss Piggy for nothin. Estimated weight: 40 kg (88 lbs). Carrying her over the hills and through the woods was work! They had to be careful not to drag her…or drop her down the bank. They had to come up with a way to make carrying her easier…and more effective. What would you do if you were in this situation?

10. It’s Working!

Ta-da! The men found a long, strong branch on which to hang the bag…and the dog. This distributed the weight and made carrying Miss Piggy much easier. Of course, the long stick would make climbing the steep incline more of a challenge, so the team opted for a slightly shallower climb toward the road. It was the path of lesser resistance. The woman led the way, clearing the path.

11. Break Time

Coffee break. Well, sans the coffee. The men exerted a mammoth effort, even on the easier path. When they finally reached the road, they had to scale a 3 meter (9 feet, 8 inches) vertical climb to get out of the bush. It took 30 minutes to finally reach the road.

12. The Road!

Now that they reached the road, they had to travel to where the car was parked. Walking on flat ground was obviously easier. But now that the road was visible, would Miss Piggy stay put? Or would she jump and run?

13. Almost There

Miss Piggy must know a good thing when she sees it, because she wasn’t going anywhere. She happily rode along as the crew of three traveled the windy road by foot. Maybe Miss Piggy knew she was going home? (Did the rescuers know where her home was?)

14. Happiness

In the car at last! Miss Piggy was noticeably happy. She was all smiles as the team headed down the mountain road on four smooth-riding wheels. Now the plan was to take her to their home, to feed her and then to try to find her owner. Facebook would be the vehicle for getting the word out about Miss Piggy. Would it work?

15. Meet Bob

Just half an hour after they posted the Facebook message on a lost pets page, they received a message. It was from a man who lived in a suburb about 15 kms north of the creek where they found Miss Piggy. He was sure it was his dog, Bob, who was lost almost one month earlier. Uh-oh. This was definitely a female dog. Now what?

16. Reunited

Bob is short for ‘Elly-Bobby’ (named after Ricky Bobby). Bob was a female dog. The man specified Bob’s physical characteristics which proved Miss Piggy was Bob, and the team reunited the two. The owner mounted massive Facebook and poster campaigns, and he spent hours searching every night since she went missing. But it took three kind hikers, their tremendous dedication and a great big stick to bring Bob, a.k.a. Miss Piggy, home.

[All images credited to dangerm0use]