The deep connection between a man and his dog is hard to put into words, but this one image speaks for itself.
One day, a young hiker was all alone, and injured and stuck 5,600 feet up Mount Velebit while out on a hike.
According to The AP, a rescue team of 27 members struggled to climb the mountain range that borders Croatia’s Adriatic Sea coast because of extreme weather, ice and terrain.
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The silver lining is that the hiker was climbing with his dog, North. North refused to leave his father as it got darker and colder, watching over him and keeping him warm until the rescue team arrived.
“Friendship and love between man and dog know no boundaries,” Hrvatska Gorska Služba Spašavanja (HGSS) wrote on Facebook.
“North passed without injuries, but his friend, a young mountaineer, was not so lucky. He curled up with him and warmed him with his body.”
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Around midnight, 13 hours after the hiker sustained his injury, rescuers finally found him and his dog, and the next morning, they were able to bring them some much-needed medical care.
His dad made it down the mountain and through the night, all down to North’s loyalty and dedication.
“[North’s] loyalty did not end with the arrival of the rescuers,” the Facebook post continued.
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“He was one of us, guarding his man for 13 hours. From this example, we can all learn about caring for each other.”
Currently at home, North is unwinding and enjoying a lot of treats and pets as his father is expected to make a full recovery.
The dog is being hailed as a hero, but the fluffy pup thought he was just doing his duty by making sure his friend got home safely.
