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Dog follows ultrarunner throughout race and finds herself a forever home
My heart is so full with this story! <3
Alissa Gaskell
03.27.20

Dogs, regardless of breed, are known for being incredible companions. They’re intelligent, highly trainable, fiercely loyal, and have impressive instincts for rescue and survival. That’s what makes them great pets.

Photo by Lisa Fotios from Pexels
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Photo by Lisa Fotios from Pexels

Even working dogs have a way of disarming handlers with their charm and competence. Notice how cops and other security personnel end up falling in love with their canine partners and developing unbreakable bonds with them? The same goes for therapy dogs. They’re sweet, efficient, and make life so much easier for the people who rely on them for help.

That’s why dog owners have so much to gush about.

Making dogs part of the family may mean hard work but the perks are priceless. Dogs have a natural inclination for affection, especially when trained well. These charming canines have a way of showering their pet parents and human siblings with love, care, and protection.

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Pexels

Just like Gobi and how greatly she touched Dion’s life.

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Instagram

Dion Leonard is a seasoned ultramarathon runner who met the sweet dog while he was running an endurance race through the Gobi Desert in China.

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YouTube

To Dion’s surprise, the dog, which he eventually named after the desert, started running with him. Despite Gobi’s size, she ran tirelessly alongside the runner – across sand dunes, over the Tian Shan Mountains, through villages and black sands.

Finding Gobi
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Finding Gobi

As Dion observed, Gobi could have gone off on her own after running a few miles with him but much to his surprise and delight, the dog kept up and stayed with him.

“It was just a decision that she wanted to make, and she wanted to be next to me.”

Gobi wanted so much to be with Dion that she would even follow the runner into his tent at night. Dion decided right then and there to take care of her. He would give her food and water out of his supply. carry her across rivers, and just make the dog feel loved and cared for – even if it meant risking his place in the race.

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Instagram
“I saw a lot of courage and resilience in her and it sort of tapped into my difficult childhood that I had.”
At the end of the race, Dion called his wife to tell her about Gobi and in the process, ask her how she felt about bringing the dog home. To his joy, the ultrarunner’s wife was eager to meet Gobi.

But there were a few bumps on the road before Gobi could finally come home with Dion.

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Instagram

Gobi had to wait in quarantine but thankfully, someone offered to look after her as Dion flew back to Edinburgh. As Dion figured out how to bring Gobi home, he received a call that the dog went missing. Dion was heartbroken. Determined to find her, he boarded a plane, headed back to China, and did what he could to look for her, even documenting his search. His efforts paid off. Eventually, he received a call saying Gobi had been found.

Gobi knew right off the bat that it was Dion.

Instagram
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Instagram

She immediately ran to her best friend and the two were happily reunited again. It took five months and a 48-hour plane ride to bring Gobi back home to Scotland, but it was all worth it. Now, Gobi lives happily in her own home with Dio and his wife.

Gobi and Dion’s story was more than just a tale of “man meets dog”.

It was a life-changing encounter that gave them both the happy ending they deserved.

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