Vanessa Keating, Theresa Burge, and Aubrey Metropulos, a trio of full-time RVers and Vanlifers, were exploring Bulldog Canyon in Arizona, hunting for a specific type of cactus. Near their campsite, they stumbled upon a small, furry figure – a lone dog braving the desert.
Instinctively, they couldn’t leave the pup behind and embarked on winning him over. It didn’t take long for the dog to warm up to them.
“He growled at us at first, but after some convincing, he came over,” Keating shared. “Once we removed a cholla cactus stuck to him, he became excited, showering us with kisses and zooming around.”
With the cactus removed, the dog, named Echo, felt relieved and ecstatic. His rescuers showered him with affection and launched a search for his family. Despite their efforts, they couldn’t locate them but refused to give up.
The following day, they had Echo scanned for a microchip, leading to a heartwarming discovery – he had one. After contacting his dad, they arranged for a tearful reunion.
“The reunion was incredible, filled with tears of relief,” Keating recounted. “His dad had almost lost hope, thinking Echo had been taken by a coyote.”
Echo, lost for only a few days, rejoiced in his return to his dad’s embrace. He knew his rescuers would be his ticket home, and indeed they were.