When the worst happened, a 33-year-old man was out hiking with his two dogs and a companion. He died as a result of his fall, and now the dogs are left to console one another.
Kris Busching and his friend Mark were walking with Tonka and Little P in Colorado when they became disoriented. Kris fell two days later while attempting to descend into a canyon with his dogs in search of freshwater. Mr. Bones & Co, a New York-based charity animal sanctuary, reported the incident and is caring for the canines.
Kris tried to pull his dogs to safety when he lost his footing, but the 3 of them ended up sliding down the canyon. Kris died as a result of the collision, and both dogs were injured. They stayed with Kris’ body until aid arrived the next day, at which point the dogs and Mark were rescued.
Mr. Bones & Co were on hand to help with the pups while Mark was visiting Kris’ relatives in Long Island, New York. They transported them to an emergency veterinarian so that the family could mourn.
Those two canines, who “suddenly lost their world,” were there to console one another as they mourned their loss.
The charity released a video on Thursday showing the two dogs tenderly brushing noses to illustrate their relationship while Tonka was being brought to the animal hospital.
Mr. Bones & Co. captioned the touching video, “The level of loyalty and love that exuded from these two while big brother TONKA was admitted to our emergency animal hospital @amcny so that his leg may be rescued requires no additional caption.”
“His love for LITTLE P is unbreakable.”
Because the shelter does not want the dogs to be separated, they are looking for someone who can adopt both of them. Tonka needed emergency surgery for a broken leg, while Little P needed x-rays on his jaw.
Because the family is “overwhelmed with burial expenses and unable to afford” the cost of medical treatment for the dogs, Mr. Bones & Co. created a GoFundMe campaign.
The initial goal was $8000, and they have raised more over $20,000 as of this writing.
A separate fundraising campaign was launched to assist the family with their financial requirements.
Kris’ brother Dave said in a statement released in the campaign, “We are all saddened, and honestly can’t convey the hole and anguish that we all feel.”
“He was a gifted individual with lofty goals and ambitions. “He lived an extreme lifestyle, and he loved the outdoors like most of my family,” Dave stated, adding that Kris was “where he loved to be when he departed.”
“He was my little brother and sister’s younger brother, my parents’ youngest son, and we loved him wholeheartedly,” Dave explained. “Nothing, and no one, prepares you for anything like this,” says the narrator.
Little P would not require surgery and would be placed in a foster home while Tonka recovered from surgery “without the temptation to play for a few weeks,” according to Mr. Bones & Co.
Tonka “suffered damage to his right wrist” in addition to his fractured leg. Splinting was once used by veterinarians to aid wound healing without the need for additional surgery. It is hoped that he will be released as soon as possible.