When adventurous duo Kelly McDuffie and Danny Hartung went hiking one day, they saw a lost golden retriever. Photos of the lost dog were posted throughout Shenandoah National Park, so they were already familiar with him.
The dog had been missing for about 11 days already, and the entire park personnel combed the forest for him. Unfortunately, they were unable to locate him anywhere. After two weeks of searching, when they still had not located Max, they nearly gave up hope.
Kelly and Danny decided to visit a forest walk one day. Kelly decided to pause for a moment to listen to a waterfall when they were almost halfway through the trail. They also started picking up blackberries on the ground. While they were doing so, Danny unexpectedly discovered Max lurking frantically in some bushes.
Despite her extreme fear of dogs, Kelly was able to approach and pet Max. She gave him plenty of water and food to gain his trust until she could remove him from the bushes. He was unable to walk because he was too weak to stand upright.
The couple was ecstatic when they discovered the lost dog. They still had two miles to complete the course, so they decided to phone for assistance while walking a short way. They quickly contacted park officials and their contact information was forwarded to Max’s owners. The owners of Max called them to express their gratitude.
The park authorities transported Max back to the park, where his loving family lived and they had to put Max on a stretcher. Since they were aware of his misadventure because of the posters, the majority of parkgoers were delighted by his heartwarming reunion with his family.
After two weeks of separation, he was finally reunited with his permanent family. Now that he has a second chance to be back in a warm and secure house, away from the dangers of the wild, he gradually gained weight.
Source: Good Morning America
