Rescue dog on walk spotted shoes in mud and refused to leave — his persistence saved a life

The dog was adamant that something was wrong and refused to budge.

PUBLISHED 6 HOURS AGO

(L) Man speaking to troubled dog acting strangely. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Ben Akiba), (R) Messy pair of shoes covered in mud. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Kevin Dyer)

A 74-year-old man is alive, thanks to a rescue dog, Roach, and his superb instincts and persistence, per Cascadia Daily News. The 6-year-old pitbull mix was on a walk with his pet parent, Martin Petelinz, off the Interurban Trail near Happy Valley Park in Fairhaven. Though they were on their regular route, something didn’t feel right. The canine used his instincts to sniff out trouble and found muddy shoes abandoned. While Petelinz thought it must have been trash, Roach already knew someone needed saving. He insisted he check things out with his owner and rendered a smart rescue.

Pitbull mix looking intently at owner. (Representative Image Source: pexels| Photo by Bethany Ellis)

According to iheartdogs, canines have a remarkable capacity to understand and detect danger and notify their owners. They may have their own ways and signals to share to alert an owner. Some include profuse barking, even though it seems like there’s nothing around, unusual growling or snarling, pacing or restlessness, being distracted and ignoring commands or even blocking their owner’s paths. Roach displayed some of these strange behaviors and Petelinz was beginning to wonder whether something was wrong. When the dog went on a walk with his owner on the trail first, Roach spotted the shoes and seemed persistent about them.

Dog wandering to sniff out something suspicious while owner looks on. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by Fotios photos)

Petelinz recalled how the canine is usually loving and that his behavior seemed off after he spotted the shoes. Nevertheless, being muddy and messy, Petelinz thought they might be trash and, like every other owner, tried to distract his pet from it. A few hours later, when the duo went back for another walk, the canine spotted the shoes again and this time was adamant that something was wrong. “He really wanted to go the same way. He kept pulling to go to that trail. This time, he wasn’t really letting me lead and when we got really close, he actually started growling at them, not barking,” Petelinz recalled.

Man looking around suspiciously. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by yacobchuck)

Giving in to his unusual tantrum, the owner went to check things out and was horrified to find a 74-year-old man lying on the ground with a leg injury. Petelinz was terrified and initially thought the man was dead but after trying to get a response, the man let out a soft moan. 911 was immediately called and the medics revealed that the man had dementia and had no idea of his whereabouts. “He couldn’t walk out on his own and he was near hypothermic because of the rain and the cold. They said if I hadn’t gotten to him before it got dark, he was probably not going to make it,” the pet parent recalled.

Elderly man wandering in forest alone. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Edgar Biehle)

It is presumed that the man wandered away and couldn’t recall where he was. The Bellingham Police Department received a missing person report around the same time from the area, but it was still uncertain whether it was the same man. The elderly man was eventually transported to the hospital, and the pet parent and Roach can be relieved that they helped save a life. “It was all the dog. He was the one who brought me back. He was the one who pushed me to check out the shoes. It was totally him who saved a life,” Petelinz proudly remarked.

via GIPHY