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The ‘pawsome’ reunion pulls at the heartstrings.
The moment a southern Alberta man is reunited with two of his dogs after an ordeal that landed him in the hospital after being stuck in the mud for two days near Taber.
The dogs excitedly jumping up to greet him, full of affection, after days of not seeing him.
Taber Lost Paws Society shared a touching video Saturday of the moment Hero and his canine companion Tora were reunited with their owner after he was released from hospital.
The dogs had been in the care of the society while the 61-year-old man was recovering from injuries he suffered during the incident last week.
Police told Global News the man had been out walking with his dogs when he became stuck in a muddy ditch, both dogs refused to leave his side.
Officers were initially alerted to a large dog in the area but were unable to locate it when they arrived on site. A few hours later, police learned a man and his dog were bitten by the original large dog while in the area.
When police returned to the scene, they noticed an Akita mix dog laying on a nearby berm. They also heard cries for help. That’s when they noticed the man.
Taber police chief Graham Abela says the man was rescued and taken to Lethbridge hospital, where he was treated for possible hypothermia.
He later told police his dog, who is aptly named Hero, stayed by his side for the entire two days and kept him warm, along with his other dog, Tora.
The pups even helped fight off some coyotes at one point.
“Dogs are supposed to be man’s best friend, and I think this happened here,” Abela said.
Alana McPhee with the Taber Lost Paws Society said they were making the pups as comfortable as they could while they waited to be reunited with their owner.
“We know they’re stressed, so we’ve been taking extremely cautious care of them,” McPhee said.
Following the incident, the society started a GoFundMe, which raised nearly $3,000 in less than 48 hours to help pay for extensive vet bills for the injured animals.
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