During a hike with friends up in the hills of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area, Lexie Daniel noted that the weather was a scorching 90 degrees. While she and her friends might have been ok with the temperatures, they soon encountered a man whose dog was struggling with the heat. The poor dog was quickly overheating, and that was not good.
The friends stopped to offer their assistance. But despite the large amounts of water, the dog still needed help. Lexie shared with GNN that the owner had with him a big water jug that was not making a difference. Even though the dog needed to get back down and get proper veterinary attention, the owner was too tired to be able to carry his dog.
After phoning the park rangers, the concerned group waited on the side of Mount Tammany for someone to show up. That is when Supervisory Park Ranger Kris Salapek showed up to save the day. The park ranger lifted up the large pup onto his back and began the arduous trek down the very rocky side of the mountain. Lexie noted that the trip took about an hour. At one point Kris did stop at a stream in order to dunk the dog in some cool water before continuing down the trail.
Lexie’s cousin, Tori Matyola, stated, “The owner hiked down ahead of the ranger so that once he got down the mountain he had the car ready to take him straight to the vet.”
Tori added that by the time they were getting the dog to the car, he was starting to look slightly better.
Later that evening, Lexie decided to post about the event. The pediatric nurse from Hackettstown, New Jersey was moved by the altruism shown by the park ranger towards a dog in need. After sharing the story to her Facebook, the post was shared 35,000 times. The viral post had a lot of social media users praising Kris’s actions in saving the dog.
Lexie noted on Facebook, “This is a HERO. We are so lucky to have rangers like this (who) put even animals before themselves. This ranger deserves insane recognition and a standing ovation for his bravery, selflessness, and strength.”
Not long after posting, Lexie was able to give an update. As she shared, Kris had gotten in touch with the dog’s owner. The man was happy to announce his beloved pooch had bounced back after going to the vet’s and was completely fine. But his gratitude towards Kris was overwhelming.
