A joyful reunion! (Video)

David Kareken was camping and canoeing in the Boundary Waters area of Quetico Provincial Park with his wife, 15-year-old son and their seven-year-old golden retriever/border collie mix, Kali. The family had stopped to admire a rushing waterway known as Rebecca Falls, when the dog slipped into the dangerous water. She missed a jump and fell to a ledge about ten feet below. Dave Kareken says he was on his way to rescue Kali when the dog jumped into the rapid water, trying to swim her way out.“That’s where we lost sight of her,” said Kareken, an experienced whitewater paddler, who watched his pet disappear in the violent rapids.

Kareken knew there wasn’t much of a chance that his dog survived the fast-moving water. “We called and searched for hours trying to find her but there was no sign of her,” he said. After searching for hours, and certain that their beloved pet had drowned, the family made the difficult decision to move on, and to leave the park to grieve. “We were … just beside ourselves,” he said. “You know, it was a nightmare. We lost a member of our family. I’d never felt anything like it.” But it wasn’t long before the family’s devastation turned to joy. About two weeks after losing Kali, Kareken was surprised by a phone call at his home in Asheville, North Carolina, from Quetico Park. A dog matching Kali’s description had been found. 

It was really an extraordinary moment!

“When we finally got the news, I just, I fell to my knees,” he said, “because I couldn’t believe it — you know, she was alive, and healthy, and okay.” He immediately got in his car and drove 20 hours back to northern Ontario to be reunited with Kali, who arrived by floatplane. Despite surviving 10 days in the wild, Kali was in pretty good shape. A little thinner, a little dirty, but still the sweet girl they thought they’d lost. Kali can’t contain her happiness and gives David lots of kisses and hugs, while David can’t stop hugging his “princess” back. If your heart can handle it, the video of the reunion will give you the happiest tears! Their reaction when they see each other is absolutely heartwarming. Their reunion shows just how important the bond is between dog and owner!

“I don’t know what powers of the universe were working on this. We were just ecstatic beyond words … reuniting was just extraordinary. It’s dreamlike in a way, and yet there she is, on me, kissing my face, we’re making puppy noises together.” said Kareken, but Kali is now home and safe.

“Every once in a while, we wake up in the morning and she hops up and give us a kiss and we think, is this just a dream? And we have to go, this isn’t a dream, this is real.”

Source: wamiz.com