When you’re hiking or racing through the woods, you’ll likely run into all sorts of things. Many of them are beautiful and harmless like waterfalls, for example, but you might also run into animals too. Now most hikers would want to avoid seeing a wild animal like a bear up close and personal, but what if you ran into something that was incredibly cute? Well, that’s exactly what two runners racing across the hills of northeast Tennessee found after hearing some rustling noises, and when they went in to investigate, they were flabbergasted by what was there!The two were training for the Barkley Fall Classic marathon. In fact, as a birthday present for Scott, Blake decided to challenge him on a 14-mile run. But when they heard some unusual rustling sounds by the trail, they diverted their attention towards the source.
When Blake and Scott found five black lab puppies huddling for warmth, their hearts sank. The area close to the path they were on is known for being a sort of dumping ground for pets that no one wants.
In fact, if the two runners hadn’t found them, there’s a good chance that the puppies would not have survived. But when the humans approached them, they didn’t get the reaction either of them had expected.
The dogs were also crying, which was truly heartbreaking to hear. Fortunately, Blake and Scott were able to pick them up before they went too far. But it seemed the four-legged creatures were afraid that the humans would hurt them.
Blake and Scott feared that the dogs may have been physically abused, but the dogs seemingly calmed themselves as soon as they realized that they were in no danger. The next step was to head to the ranger’s station down the road.
The ranger figured he would take the puppies to the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter the next day, but Blake and Scott kept thinking about the puppies. So, they called the ranger the following day to check up on them.
They stopped by the ranger’s house before the puppies, which were named Winky, Willow, Winnie, and Wendy, were eventually placed for adoption at the shelter. However, Scott decided that he wanted one of the puppies, so he kept the fifth dog and named him Barkley.
Barkley is doing well considering what he and his siblings have been through. He also got his first checkup and shots at the veterinarian and everything is going great. Not only does he have a cool owner in Scott, but Blake comes by to visit often.
It’s tragic that some humans aren’t nearly as kind-hearted as Blake and Scott, who were at the right place at the right time and chose to help rather than run away. Now that Blakely has a home, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that Winky, Willow, Winnie, and Wendy will too.
