Tia Vargas, a single mother, and her 76-year-old father set out on a hike with no idea what was in store for them.
Vargas of Idaho performed an extraordinary act of bravery by dragging a critically wounded 55-pound dog down a mountain to reunite him with his owners.
When they came across the critically wounded doggo, they had already been on the mountain for three hours and were on their way back down.
The springer spaniel had been seriously injured, and his parents had vanished.
Tia was well aware that if they left him there, he would perish.
‘I would want someone to do that for me if it was my dog, my child, or someone I cared about,’ Tia said.
‘There was no way I could have left him up there with a calm spirit.’
As a result, she made the incredible decision to take the 55-pound dog to safety.”
Tia remembered the dog being with another family that had rescued him. “They asked if he was my dog, and I explained that he wasn’t.”
“We didn’t know what to do because they were carrying small children who had never hiked this trail before.”
Boomer had disappeared the day before. The dog had rolled some 200 feet after falling through a 100-foot snow crevice overnight.
Boomer’s owners raced down the mountain to find him, but he was gone by the time they reached the bottom.
Boomer’s eyes were puffy and bloodshot, and his entire body was bloated when Tia first saw him.
‘You could tell he was very thirsty.’ On his belly and head, he had cuts and bruises. He was in poor shape,’ she said.
Tia found the hike back to ground level difficult, and she recalls praying for assistance at one point.
“We had to hike through the snow, and at one point we lost our way. “It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done,” she said.
Owing to snow and debris, the trail she had chosen had been blocked, leaving her with no one to rescue her and no clear direction to follow.
Tia had to put all she had into completing the 6-mile trip. In between stops, she took a lot of time to relax.
She also claims to have experienced a “divine intervention” after sending a prayer that made the dogs feel lighter.
Boomer, Vargas, and her father got separated twice, and the Idaho woman claims her legs caved in at one point.
She claims that a joke from her father, as well as a lot of God’s support, gave her the strength she needed to bring Boomer to the bottom of the mountain.
She also claims to have experienced a “divine intervention” after sending a prayer that caused the dogs’ weight to feel lighter.
Vargas, Boomer, and her father got lost twice, and the Idaho woman claims her legs caved in at one point.
She claims that a joke from her father and a lot of God’s support gave her the power she needed to get Boomer to the bottom of the mountain.
Tia couldn’t stop thinking about the sweet dog with whom she had formed such a bond.
“All night long, it tugged at my heartstrings, and when I awoke the next day, my first thought was, “That dog is supposed to be mine.”
Vargas said she saw a sign posted by the family begging hikers to call them if they see their doggo.
When she called the number, the family’s first question was, “Is he dead?”
The family, she said, was so exhausted and thankful that someone could commit such a selfless act that they gave the dog to her and her family after searching for hours the night he went missing.
Thankfully, after speaking with the dog’s family, it was decided that Boomer would be Tia’s new pet. Boomer is doing much better, despite the fact that he still needs surgery to weld some of his bones together.
Tia was extremely fortunate to be there when Boomer needed her the most. He’s still alive today thanks to her huge act of kindness.
Watch her inspirational interview below.
