Every dog owner’s worst nightmare is that their beloved canine will somehow go missing. Sadly, this is exactly the situation one family found themselves in on July 4th when their beloved golden retriever went missing as they vacationed in Madison, Virginia. They posted fliers all over their hotel as well as at the nearby Shenandoah National Park, but they still could not find Max.

Hikers Kelly McDuffie and Danny Hartung had seen the fliers before going out for a hike on July 15, which is why they immediately recognized a familiar face as they went to pick wild blackberries just off their trail.

“We went off the trail to the spring, then Danny saw some ripe blackberries, so we went a little further to pick them,” Kelly recalled in a Facebook post. “Then Danny exclaimed, ‘There’s a dog!’”

After two weeks in the wild, Max was not too happy to see humans, and he growled at the two hikers. However, this did not deter Kelly and Danny, as they knew they still had to save him.

“Anyone who knows me knows I’m very afraid of dogs, but my motherly instinct kicked in and I wasn’t going to leave this area without him,” Kelly said, adding that they decided to gain Max’s trust through his stomach. “After feeding him 3 boiled eggs, a fig bar, and lots of water he warmed up.”

Max was so weak that he could not even walk, and he was too heavy for the pair to carry. Luckily, they were able to get enough cell service to call park rangers to come and get him.

Max’s family was overjoyed to hear that he was safe, and they immediately drove back from Washington D.C. to come and get him. He had lost ten pounds during his time in the wild, and he had a fever as well as a few scratches, but other than that he was alright.

“It was a long day, but saving sweet Max made it all worth it,” Kelly said. “All of the stars aligned that day!”

Max has since made a full recovery and is back home where he belongs. We’re so glad his story had a happy ending!