Out of nowhere a stray pup begins to follow marathon runner Dion Leonard along a 77 mile journey in the middle of the desert.
Leonard a career marathoner was taking part in the Gobi March 4 Deserts Race. This grueling race consists of 7 days and 150 miles of pain and perseverance over the Tian Shan Mountains to the Black Gobi Desert. Leonard and the pup quickly took a liking to each other,sharing sleeping space, food and water. Leonard named the pup Gobi, after her place of origin.
“During the race I had to make small allowances to ensure Gobi’s safety and completion of the stages she ran, I carried her across rivers and over sluice gates she could not cross on her own,” said Leonard in an online post. “Gobi rested on Day 4 and Day 5 due to the heat of the desert but waited for me at the finish line and I knew then this was no ordinary dog and experience.”
After crossing the finish line together, Leonard knew he just couldn’t leave the dog behind. He quickly began a crowdfunding campaign to pay for the over $6,000 needed to bring the pup home with him to Scotland. It's a long process, that involves upto 4 months of quarantine for the dog. But Leonard and his family are looking forward to being reunited with Gobi. Just in time for the holidays….. I love this story…. I just love to imagine the whole encounter. The dog is such a cute dog. And the way Leonard said that it would look up at him while running and make eye contact, makes me feel warm and happy just thinking about it.
A chance encounter or old friends being reunited... You decide...Amazing to say the least......