A stray dog followed tourists for over 60 miles through Morocco’s desert, leading to an incredible rescue that brought her halfway around the world.
Dogs have this amazing gift of loyalty that puts us humans to shame sometimes. They don’t care if you’re rich or poor, happy or sad.
When they pick you, they stick with you no matter what. They love with their whole hearts and never give up on the people they choose.
That’s exactly what happened when Hara decided to follow Emily and her friends across miles of burning desert sand.
A Chance Encounter with a Stray Dog
Emily Lawson was biking across Morocco with her group when they stopped for a break in the Sahara desert. They saw a dirty stray dog and gave her some pets and scratches behind her ears. When they got back on their bikes to continue, the dog started following them.
“I really don’t know why she followed us. She was just trotting alongside us. It was very hot and very dry, but she made it very fun,” Lawson said in her Instagram video.
The dog ran next to them for about 30 miles. Lawson named her Hara within the first two minutes of meeting her.
Her Little Paws Couldn’t Take Another Step in the Heat
When they reached 50 kilometers, Hara looked exhausted. Her paw pads were worn down from running on the hot desert ground. Lawson is a veterinarian, so she knew Hara needed help. She put her own socks on Hara’s feet to protect them.
“She had the really kind of funny high stepping gate. I don’t know how it works to get ourselves into these situations, but now she’s got booties on,” Lawson remembered.
Even though Hara was a picky eater who refused bread, sardines, and carrots, she happily ate some of their omelette.
The Hardest Goodbye
The group biked another 20 kilometers to reach a bigger city. They rented a car and drove Hara to a rescue center in Agadir. Leaving her there was hard.
“We were pretty upset leaving her. She just slotted into our lives and she wouldn’t leave our sides and so it just kind of made sense to adopt her,” Lawson explained.
Bringing Hara Home
Morocco has 3 million stray dogs, and people there don’t usually keep dogs as pets. This made finding Hara a home almost impossible. So Lawson decided to adopt her.
Hara stayed in Morocco for four months while she got her rabies shots and blood tests. In April, Lawson flew back to Morocco to pick her up.
“After 4 months of paperwork and getting her clear for the border, we flew back to Morocco to pick her up which was extremely emotional because of all the memories that we had on that bike trip,” she said.
They flew to Amsterdam, then took three trains and a ferry to reach the United Kingdom.
A New Life
Today, Hara is doing well in her new home. Lawson plans to move to Norway soon, where Hara will meet her two other dogs and see snow for the first time.
“She really just fits into our lives. She just brings a lot of happiness,” Lawson shared.
Her Instagram video got over 1 million views. People loved the story and praised Lawson for saving Hara.
WATCH: Stray Dog Follows Cyclists 60 Miles Across Desert and Finds a Forever Home
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