During a peaceful hike on a quiet Oregon trail, a hiker’s attention was suddenly drawn to a small figure off the beaten path. At first glance, the creature appeared to be still, watching him intently.
Most would have overlooked it, but not this hiker.
He slowed his pace, trying to identify the animal. The small, silent shape wasn’t moving, its large eyes seemed to communicate a silent plea for help, as if it had nowhere else to turn.
Step by step, he approached cautiously, careful not to startle the creature. His boots scraped against the gravel, and the air seemed to grow thin. It was clear the animal was frightened.
What he discovered up close would change the course of his day. The animal in need of help wasn’t just observing him, it was depending on him.
A Surprising Discovery
For Jason Hawkins, it had started as just another routine hike. But things took an unexpected turn when a group of people asked him a question: “Are you missing a dog?” He replied no, but their query piqued his curiosity.
Determined to investigate, he pressed on with his hike, hoping to find the lost dog they mentioned.
Then, he spotted it. Upon closer inspection, it became clear the dog was frightened and searching for someone to help. And with no one else around, Hawkins was the one to step in.
Hawkins shared with The Dodo, “That’s when I saw, just off in the distance, a little figure. It kind of clicked that that might be the dog they were asking about.”
Hawkins tried to approach the dog, but every time he got near, the pup would run away. Unsure how to gain its trust, he followed it deeper into the woods, growing increasingly worried.
“It ran off deeper into the woods for a while when I was trying to follow him, and that kind of just freaked me out a little bit. The deeper he got, the more worried I became,” Hawkins said.
Finally, Hawkins spotted the dog lying down. Slowly, he made his way closer and noticed a collar around its neck. It became clear, the dog was lost, but it wasn’t a stray. The collar indicated this was someone’s pet, and Hawkins realized he needed to help reunite it with its owner.
A Clever Solution
With no food to entice the dog back to the trailhead, Hawkins had to get creative. After some thought, he came up with a solution. Using his camera tripod, he fashioned a makeshift leash.
The dog, accustomed to being on a leash, didn’t resist as Hawkins gently led it back toward safety.
“As soon as I stood up and he could kind of feel the pull on his collar, he was like … ‘I know what’s happening, we’re good now,’” Hawkins explained.
Once the two of them made it back to the trailhead, Hawkins called the number on the collar, but there was no cell service. However, he was able to send a text to the owner, and before long, she arrived at the scene.
The woman was overwhelmed with emotion, struggling to hold back tears as she embraced her dog, who had been lost for hours.
She explained that the dog had somehow escaped from her car earlier that day, and she had spent hours searching the Oregon woods in a desperate attempt to find him.
Hawkins reflected, “Being able to ease the mind and see the joy that was on her face afterward felt really good.”