Hiker Mom Carries Lost, Injured 55-Pound Dog on her Back Six Miles Down Mountain

Moms have adrenaline-infused, super-human strength when it comes to protecting their young, but it turns out this instinct can happen with moms and animals as well.  Case in point is a 40-year-old Idaho mom of three and avid hiker who recently became a hero for saving a lost and injured dog during her hike.

Tia Vargas and her 76-year-old father, Ted Kasper went on a hike to Table Rock. She decided to crest the peak and her dad opted to wait for her a mile down. While descending the 11,106-foot summit, she came across “Boomer,” an English springer spaniel who was in rough shape.

So she decided to put Boomer over her shoulders and descend down the mountain, but the elements – a snowy, debris-filled trail and then rain made the rescue even harder. She even had sit and slide down a snowy slope with Boomer in her lap! (Isn’t she amazing!) Vargas and her dad also ended up getting lost twice. 

At one point, she wasn’t sure if she could carry on as she too was scratched up, bruised and exhausted, but she didn’t have the heart to leave Boomer behind. “I said a little prayer and I picked up Boomer and it literally felt like someone had walked up behind me and lifted the weight off my shoulders,” she explained. Watch the video and find out what happened when they finally reached the bottom of the mountain…