George and Lisa met at a fishing camp. The two were attracted to each other immediately and it did not take long for the two to fall in love. They have been inseparable ever since. Given that they met through fishing, it’s not surprising that they do it often.
Source: Daily Story
Whenever they had the chance, they would take a boat out on the water and go fishing. But this trip was different. They would be a couple of weeks in the water – a longer trip than what they were used to. And they definitely did not expect to encounter something unexpected.
Fishing was special
Fishing trips were special for George and Lisa. After all, it’s how their love story started. After several years of being together, George decided that it was time to propose and take their relationship to the next level.
Source: Daily Story
George planned out a special fishing trip in an area close to the fishing camp where he first met Lisa. When George popped the question. Lisa did not hesitate, and said yes! It did not take long for the two to get married.
An active couple
Even as a married couple, George and Lisa maintained their fishing adventures during the weekends. Sometimes, they would take the week off and travel out of town to fish. They had a goal – to catch a different type of fish for every trip they made.
Source: Daily Story
For their next fishing trip, George and Lisa made it a big one. This time, they will be away for 2 weeks to travel to the farthest location they both had ever been to. They planned to do a lot of hiking and fishing.
Hiking to their boat
On this trip, the lovebirds will be hiking to the location of their boat. They asked the boat owner to leave the boat at the end of a hiking trail and they would hike there early in the morning. Since they started the hike early, the trail was quiet and soothing.
Source: Daily Story
When they arrived at the shore of the lake and saw the boat, they immediately felt excited to fish. The couple had a particular fish in mind to catch and they heard that specie is abundant in another lake nearby. They took the boat to the water and headed towards the next lake.
A big catch
There, Lisa cast her line, hoping to catch something for their lunch. It did not take long before something big bit on Lisa’s bait. George had to help her reel the fish in. When they finally saw the fish, they were shocked.
Source: Daily Story
It was not the fish they were aiming for but this one was huge. In fact, the couple had fun taking pictures of Lisa’s surprisingly huge catch. Lisa and George fished some more and decided to have the smaller catch for their lunch.
Something strange in the water
A few hours later, the couple decided to take a break. It was a lazy afternoon. George decided to check the photos he took with his camera earlier. It was then that he spotted something in one of the pictures. He tried to zoom in to get a closer look.
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There was something odd standing out in the background. George showed the picture to Lisa and showed her the strange thing in the background. They both knew they had to go back.
Going back
Trying to head back to the spot, the couple realized the lake was larger than they thought. But they were determined to find the strange thing in the water. They ended up circling around the lake doing their best to spot the areas they passed through.
Source: Daily Story
It took a few hours before they spotted a slight bump in the water. George swerved the boat and made their way closer to the bump. He killed the engine as they got close to observe the strange thing in the water.
Unknown creature
The thing was more visible from where they were but it was still unclear what it was. George was able to see brown hair and he could tell that it had arms and legs. What kind of creature was this? Lisa hoped they did not just spot a dead body.
Source: Daily Story
Lisa leaned over to the water to try to get a closer look as George steered the boat closer. She then started laughing and told George that they were worried about nothing. It looked like the thing was just a stuffed toy!
It was alive
George leaned over to confirm what Lisa said. But then, he saw the thing suddenly move. George jumped back and told Lisa that it was alive and that he saw it moving. The couple witnessed the poor creature struggling to stay on top of a floating piece of wood.
Source: Daily Story
It looked like the creature needed some rescuing and they decided to act quickly – even though they were not sure what it was. George and Lisa tried to get as close as they can and pull up the creature onto the boat.
The rescue
To their surprise, they found that it was a large dog. How could it get so far into the lake? The fact that it was still alive was a miracle. They could see that the dog was shivering from the cold and they feared that their rescue was too late.
Source: Daily Story
Add to that the fact that they were strangers to the area and did not know how to contact the authorities. George had a friend who was a vet and called him up to ask for advice. The vet told him that he needed to watch the dog’s temperature and give it something to eat.
Getting attached
As the couple tried to look for what to feed the dog. But they saw that the dog had started eating the big fish Lisa had caught earlier. They forgot that they had left it out in the open. The two were amused – they had no idea that dogs could eat raw fish.
Source: Daily Story
They had been in the water for a couple of days so it would take a few more days before they would reach the dock in town. And as the days went by, Lisa formed an attachment to the dog. She never had a dog before and she had no idea she would enjoy one so much.
She wanted to keep it
Every time Lisa went fishing, she would immediately give the smaller catches to the dog. She also loved cuddling it. For her, the fishing trip was better because of the dog. She was hoping that they could keep it and bring it home with them.
Source: Daily Story
But George was not so sure. The dog was huge and it may have some special needs. He also had no experience having a dog as a pet. He then told Lisa that they should research the dog breed first and that if everything was fine, they can try to adopt it.
A large breed
To be honest, the dog seemed to be content eating the fish they caught each day. George also noticed that this dog slept all day. Dogs should be energetic, right? He could not shake the feeling that there was something strange about this dog.
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George decided to send some pictures of it to his vet friend and ask what kind of dog it is. The vet said that base on the size and the color of the dog, it looked like it could be a Tibetan Mastiff. George knew how big this breed can get. It was a big responsibility.
The decision
When their trip came to an end, George had to decide if they could keep the pet or not. He decided that Lisa can keep the dog for now but they had to have the dog checked at the vet.
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Lisa had a few more vacation days left and she spent them at home with the dog. She noticed that the dog was starting to act strange. At first, Lisa thought it was just adjusting to a new region and place but it became clear that there was something more to it.
They had to wait
They made an appointment with George’s vet friend but the next opening was in a week. Since they were first-time pet owners, the vet gave them instructions on how to take care of the dog in the mean time until their appointment.
Source: Daily Story
They tried their best to take care of the dog but it looked like it had gained quite an appetite since they got home. It ate frequently in a day and each time was a big serving. They had never seen a dog eat so much.
Acting strange
Not only that but the dog was barking weirdly. The couple started to worry that the neighbors might complain soon. They looked up videos of Tibetan mastiffs and found it strange that the dog was not barking the same way.
Source: Daily Story
George and Lisa also noticed how fast their dog was growing. At this rate, the dog can easily outgrow the house if it won’t stop growing in size. Things started to become difficult but nevertheless, they love their new pet and had formed a special bond with it.
Seeing the vet
Finally, it was time for their first vet appointment. When they walked in, the vet immediately looked confused. He then asked them to give him a moment and conduct some tests. The vet came back with shocking news.
Source: Daily Story
It took almost an hour for the vet to come back with some test results. He then apologized to the couple. It turned out that the creature they took home with them was not a dog. The creature they rescued was a bear!
Another important choice
George and Lisa could not believe it. Lisa looked at her pet who happened to be a bear cub all this time. What would this mean? Can they keep it as a pet legally? The vet handed them a number of an expert as he was not sure about the legalities of owning a bear.
Source: Daily Story
George called the number. The expert said they can keep the cub for a short period but once it grows to full size, the bear can be a threat to a residential area. They would eventually have to release it back to the wild or give it to the care of a zoo.
Their choice
Lisa and George decided that the best option was to move their pet to a zoo. The cub was pretty much domesticated in the few weeks they spent together. It had turned into this adorable creature that was trusting and playful.
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Releasing it to the wild in this state would be more dangerous for their pet. It may not be able to survive on its own. Lisa was able to keep the bear for two more weeks before it got undeniable that the bear was getting too big for the house. It was time to say goodbye.
Letting go but maintaining the bond
When the time came, Lisa and George chose a zoo nearby so that they could visit it often. The zoo manager was happy to have a bear added to their premises. He was sure it would make a great attraction and assured the couple that they would take good care of it.
Source: Daily Story
The zoo manager even gave them special passes so that they could come by whenever they wanted. They can go to the zoo anytime, as much as they want for free. Up to this day, Lisa and George actively visit their pet and make donations to the zoo.