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Stray Dog Found a New Home When He Joined a 155-Mile Race
One little puppy is proving just how loyal dogs can be.
At the start of the 4 Desert Gobi March 2016, a 6-day, 155-mile race in China’s largest desert, a small dog joined Dion Leonard. The dog jumped right into the race at the starting line and followed along with the other participants.
The dog kept running, finishing the first 22-mile stretch and hung around the runner’s camp after the first stop. Leonard noticed the small dog, but didn’t think much of it. However, the dog came back on day two, ready for the next leg of the race.
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“On Day 2, I was at the start line for the race stage and she was standing next to me looking up at me,” Leonard told The Dodo. “I thought to myself this little dog isn’t going to last very long at my side as we raced off, but she ended up running the whole day and 23 miles distance.”
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At the end of the second leg, the dog and Leonard were quite the pair. Leonard even named the dog Gobi and knew had a new racing partner for day three.
“For a little dog Gobi certainly has a big heart and some pace to match,” Leonard said.
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Because of the extreme weather, Gobi had to sit out of the middle days of the race. Organizers however made sure to take Gobi to the finish line so she could greet Leonard at the end.
Gobi was able to join back in on the race for the sixth and final day. All together the little dog ran half of the 155-mile race.
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Luckily this isn’t the end for the adorable pair. Leonard hopes to bring Gobi home to Scotland. However, to bring her over country borders is a difficult process. It includes medical checks and a four-month quarantine period, but Leonard is determined to bring the pup home.
Leonard has even started a CrowdFunder page to help with the cost of moving the dog.
“Gobi picked me to be her pal for life” Leonard said. “So I am doing what I can with some great support from around the world to make this happen.”