Rescuing dogs is not an easy job. This particular search party found themselves in the most remote parts of the forest looking for a dog that unexpectedly ran off into the woods. The owner had to ask for help two days after the dog never got back home.
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When the search party followed some tracks in the forest, they found themselves in a different situation than what they were used to. They have found their missing dog but the dog was surrounded by vultures.
Meet Rascal
Mirjam is a dog lover and she would definitely do anything for her dog, Rascal. They took walks often and everyone in town is familiar with the duo. But one day, Rascal surprised Mirjam when he suddenly bolted out the door and headed towards the forest.
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Mirjam, panicked and tried to run after Rascal. But her dog was too fast and soon enough she found herself unable to follow him in the woods. She panicked at first but knew that Rascal was a smart dog who could find his way home.
Asking for help
But then, the unexpected happened. It has been two days and there was no sign of Rascal. Mirjam was worried by now and she felt foolish for not running after him. Mirjam had no option but to seek help to search for her dog.
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Mirjam lived in a small town and most of the residents were willing to help her out. Her friends organized a search party and several groups spent hours looking for Rascal in the forest but there was no sign of Mirjam’s beloved dog.
A determined group
When most of the search party gave up because it was getting dark, Mirjam was heartbroken. Rascal meant a lot to her and she started wondering if she would ever get to see her furry companion again. A disheartened Mirjam was about to head home.
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Mirjam then ran into a search party composed of her close friends. Seeing Mirjam’s sad face, they immediately tried to cheer her up and encouraged her not to give up. Some of them were even willing to pack up more supplies and go deeper into the forest.
Evidence found
This particular search party continued for two more days. And this time, the search was not in vain. They were able to find dog tracks and the hope was reignited when they found fur that matched Rascal. The tracks indicated that Rascal had headed deep into the forest.
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The group tried to be realistic and decided not to report back to Mirjam yet so she would not hope too much. After all, it has been days and they still had to make sure that Rascal is alive. The forest is full of predators that can do a lot of damage.
A bad omen
The search group followed the tracks and before they knew it, they found themselves in the remote parts of the forest. They knew they had to be more alert and careful now. But then, the group ran into a bad omen that left them disturbed and discouraged.
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While moving towards the tracks, the search group came across a group of black vultures. And there were more flying in a circular motion above a particular area ahead of them in the forest. That was a very bad sign.
An odd sight
When vultures are around, it means there is a dead animal nearby. Everyone knows that these mean-looking birds love to eat the carcass. The search group was hoping that it was another animal and not Mirjam’s Rascal.
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It did not take long for the group to reach the area where most of the vultures have gathered. But there was no sign or smell of a carcass around. It was odd. Why would the vultures be gathering here if there was nothing for them to eat?
Missing dog found
Then, one of the groups spotted something. There was a white dog cage somewhere in the middle of the area where the birds gathered. What was it doing in the remote part of the forest? The group tried to get a closer look.
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To their surprise, Rascal was sitting calmly in front of the dog cage! They immediately cheered up now that they know the last three days of searching around finally would have a happy ending. Mirjam would definitely be happy to know that they have found her dog.
They can’t get near
But why were there vultures around Rascal? Was he badly injured? But the group could not get any closer because the vultures were acting aggressively and looked like they were ready to attack at any time.
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And as if on cue, the vultures had turned against them. They began flying towards them, ready to do damage with their beaks and claws. The group ran back to a safer distance since they can easily lose an eye and parts of their flesh in the attack.
Rescue from a distance
While all the chaos was happening, Rascal remained unfazed as he sat down calmly in front of the cage. The group needed to find a way to get Rascal back. They were too close to back out now. Besides, they could not leave him surrounded by vultures.
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Since the search group could not get close to Rascal, they needed to find a way to lure Rascal away from the cage and head toward them. It was then that one of Mirjam’s friends in the search group had a good idea.
An unexpected reaction
Mirjam gave a can of Rascal’s favorite dog food to the search party in case Rascal needed food immediately. He took out the canned food and opened it. Immediately, the strong smell of wet dog food filled the air. That was surely going to get Rascal’s attention.
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Rascal immediately looked their way when he caught the scent but to the group’s surprise, he remained in front of the cage. This discouraged the group. And to make things worse, the smell also caught the attention of other animals nearby.
Creating a diversion
When they started noticing animals popping out of the bushes and hearing howls from a distance, the group immediately decided to close the can. They needed a new strategy. Fortunately, another member of the team came up with another idea.
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Matt, the leader of the search group, took the can of dog food and then tossed it a few meters away from where Rascal is. The action caught the vulture’s attention and they immediately flew in that direction. The group now had a chance to grab Rascal.
He did not want to leave
Matt ran as fast as he could to pick Rascal up. He needed to go back to their hiding spot before the vultures come back. Unfortunately, Rascal was not willing to be taken. Rascal became aggressive and even tried to bite Matt.
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Matt called out to the group that he needed help. Two more men came over. By this time, the vultures were already done with the dog food. When they noticed the men getting Rascal, the vultures immediately started screeching and heading their way.
Failed rescue plan
Matt and the men had to put Rascal back on the ground and run back to where the rest of the search party were waiting. Matt had hoped that when Rascal landed on the ground, he would run away with them but the dog ran back to the old cage again.
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Matt noticed that the vultures did not chase them. They were more interested in Rascal and the dog cage. It was an odd and confusing thing. Vultures only hover around when there is a prospect of having a meal soon.
Camping for the night
The group decided to stick around longer and camp for the night. When night falls, Rascal would be asleep and the vultures probably would be headed off somewhere. So they set up camp and took turns watching.
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When it was about to get dark, Matt and the rest of the group built a campfire. Soon, Rascal was asleep. The dog had crawled into the cage and put his head down. But unfortunately, the vultures were still around.
Setting up Plan B
The vultures were no longer on the ground surrounding the cage but they have taken shelter in the trees nearby. Matt figured out that it would give them enough time to run to the dog cage and retrieve Rascal.
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Matt and the group started to come up with a plan. They had two more cans of food to toss away and distract the vultures in case they needed it. Everyone had their task and everyone was to return to their safe spot as quickly as possible.
Stealth mode
Matt silently crept to the cage, made sure Rascal was totally inside, then silently closed it. As slowly and carefully as he could, he crept back to the group with the cage. Rascal did not even realize that the cage was moving and he slept through it.
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The group slowly and quietly moved to an area far away from the vultures. By the time they were in an area, they considered safe and far enough, it was time for sunrise. They decided to take a break and get a closer look at Rascal and the cage.
What was in the cage?
Matt opened the cage and gently took out Rascal to inspect him for any wounds. This woke up Rascal. When he realized he was out of the cage, he became very stressed and aggressive again and seemed to want to go back in the cage.
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One of the people in the group took a look in the cage. Something was moving in it. When they saw the furry critters they thought it was puppies. But a closer look showed that they were baby raccoons.
An unforgettable rescue mission
It seemed like Rascal never wanted to leave the cage because he was protecting the little raccoons from the vultures. The group reunited Rascal with the raccoons. They could not believe what they have just gone through. It was definitely unforgettable.
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The group was worried about how they could return Rascal to Mirjam when Rascal would not separate himself from the baby raccoons. But that did not seem like a problem when they knocked on Mirjam’s door.
An unexpected hero
Mirjam was practically crying from happiness when she saw Rascal. When Matt told her about the raccoons, Mirjam could not believe it. Her little dog was a hero! She did not want to separate Rascal from his new friends so they tried to see if she can keep the raccoons.
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They had Rascal and the raccoons checked. With some advice from the local vet, Mirjam was able to raise the new raccoon friend of Rascal. Mirjam thanked Matt and the group for not giving up on the search.