Jason Umbriaco is a Montana resident who traveled to Alaska with his 14-week-old Border Collie named Buckley. The pet owner has always loved the great outdoors, and hiking in the Alaskan wilderness has long been his dream. Having his precious pup with him made the trip even more incredible.
Ever since he had a traumatic brain injury in 2008, Jason has always had a dog with him wherever he goes. The presence of a furry friend helped him cope with his condition.
Bear attack
Jason and Buckley went hiking in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, enjoying the beauty of the mountain ridges and the nearby Kenai River. Then suddenly, they came across a brown bear surrounded by her cubs.
Before the adventurer could do anything, the wild creature lunged at him and bit Jason on the arm as he tried to shield himself from the attack. He panicked and jumped into the river. The bear followed him in and bit him on the shoulder.
Fortunately for Jason, the large animal took off after the second attack. The injured man was in terrible pain and needed immediate treatment. He tried looking for his dog, but he was nowhere to be found. Buckley ran away in fear of the bear.
Lost and found
Jason went back to his truck and called for emergency assistance. An ambulance was immediately dispatched and took him to a hospital. All the while, he couldn’t stop thinking about his pet.
The worried dog owner told a hospital employee, Bonnie Nichols, about his missing dog. Bonnie is a dog lover herself and is a member of various dog groups in Alaska. She asked for a picture of Buckley and shared it on her Facebook account. Soon, people were sharing it.
One of the members of her online community found Buckley on the day of the attack. The dog somehow lost his collar, so she assumed that the dog was a stray. But as soon as she saw Bonnie’s post, she got in touch with the hospital employee and made arrangements to return the dog.
Buckley was soon reunited with his grateful owner.
Source: Bonnie Nichols via Facebook
