Don’t we do everything possible to show our dogs how much we love them? Dogs are very special pets in that they show unconditional love towards us no matter what. To show our own love towards them, we do so many things to try to make them happy, even if it means sacrificing a bit of comfort. We don’t mind giving them the best seat on the couch or even sharing that expensive cut of meat. But ask yourself this, would you go the extra mile for a dog if it wasn't yours? Miguel Camacho would.
This is a story about a man from Florida who was studying hard for an exam that could change his life, when he saw a world-famous dog in trouble. What do you think he did? Read on and find out!
An Amazing Opportunity
Miguel Camacho had his calendar marked for months for November 8, 2018, because that was the day that he would be taking a test to see if he was ready to receive his journeyman electrician’s license -- a license that would be an enormous help to further his career.
While he sat in the park studying for this exam, he felt so happy daydreaming about opportunities to get jobs that could help him provide for his family in a big way.
Time to Take a Break
Experts say that to best remember information when studying one requires a few breaks to refresh and reenergize their brain, allowing them to renew their focus.
Miguel felt that it was time for a little break, so he pulled out his phone and started to scroll down on his social media feed. As he scrolled down the feed; something in particular caught and held his attention.
Kitesurfing Dog
There was a viral video making its way through various social media channels that featured an adorable kitesurfing dog.
This little Jack Russell Terrier really knew how to handle the board and fly the kite better even than most people.
Zeus
This amazing black and white Jack Russell Terrier is called Zeus. He belongs to the family of Dimitri Maramenides; his wife Helen Trotman, their daughter Olivia, and their 16-year-old son Cameron.
Together the family would spend nearly every weekend at the beach surfing together.
Born to Surf
Cameron had quite the knack for kitesurfing, having started as a young boy and honing his skills throughout his early teen years.
Even from the tender age of six years old, everyone knew that he had the innate skills to become a professional kitesurfer.
Summer Olympics 2020
Cameron was so good at kitesurfing that he was recruited by Team USA to compete in the 2020 summer Olympics.
The good news was marred by a terrible incident that happened just a few days beforehand, at the north Skyway Bridge competition.
Zeus Goes Missing
Zeus--who always accompanied the family on their surfing trips--was stolen! The Maramenideses couldn’t believe that in a split second with their backs turned that their precious dog was stolen. Who would do such a cruel thing?
The family hoped that with all of the fliers and notices they put out, offering large rewards, someone would recognize Zeus and bring him home to his rightful owners.
Cameron Takes to Social Media
Miguel was scrolling down his social media feed and watching the amazing moves that Zeus the kitesurfing dog was pulling off with ease. He noticed that the latest video on the feed was posted by Cameron, pleading with anyone who recognizes Zeus to please contact him.
In the video, Cameron said that the person who stole Zeus was a middle-aged white man driving a grey Sedan.
Vague Description
As sympathetic as Cameron's plea was, Miguel knew that there was probably no chance that anyone would find Zeus based on that extremely vague description alone. Miguel put his phone back in his pocket and reached down to pick up his books once more.
It was right then that he caught in the corner of his eye a middle-aged white man in a grey Sedan pulling up to the park. This was too much of a coincidence to be true, right?
Coincidence or Fate?
At first, it seemed like a strange coincidence that the second after he watched the video a middle-aged man driving a grey Sedan happened to pull up.
Seriously, what are the chances that this was the man that Cameron identified as the thief? Still, Miguel kept an eye on the car that just pulled up. He had nothing to lose by keeping an eye out for Zeus.
Identifying the Dog
When Miguel saw Zeus getting out of the car soon after, he quickly called the number that Cameron left in the video. After Miguel described what the dog looked like to his real owner, Cameron excitedly exclaimed, “Hey man, that’s my dog!”. Miguel assured Cameron that he would call the police right away.
Miguel became dismayed when the police told him that there was nothing they could do unless the real owner was present.
Decision Time
After a few minutes, Zeus jumped back into the grey Sedan, and the middle-aged man drove off. Miguel was in a bind because today was the day that he was supposed to take his engineering test, but his conscience told him that he had a duty to save the dog from possible danger.
He knew that he wouldn’t have time to chase after the car and make it back in time for the exam, so he had to make a decision: the life of a dog or his chance to get ahead in his career.
The Chase
Miguel made a snap decision to follow the grey Sedan that held Cameron’s stolen dog.
He knew it was a risk, because not only would he almost surely miss his exam, but he had no idea if the man he was chasing was dangerous.
The Showdown
After a few minutes of the chase, the middle-aged man pulled over, because he realized that someone was tailing him. When he got out, he ran over to Miguel’s car and asked Miguel in an irritated voice, “Why are you following me?”. Miguel answered him calmly by saying, “I don’t think that’s your dog’’.
The middle-aged man was furious that he was being accused of dog theft, and angrily replied: “Of course it is!”
A Quick Getaway
Miguel thought of a way to determine if this was really the man who stole Cameron’s dog. “Zeus!”, he called out. When Zeus heard his name, the dog immediately ran to Miguel.
Miguel quickly picked up the dog, put him in his car, and made a his hasty getaway.
Over the Moon
The Maramenides could not believe their eyes when they saw that their dog had been saved by this kind stranger.
Helen said,
"We are still pinching ourselves to see if we are dreaming. We are so fortunate Miguel was there and was willing to put himself into a possibly dangerous situation to get our dog back.”
Mixed Emotions
Even though Miguel felt great that he returned the dog back to his rightful owners, he was also very sad that he missed taking his engineering test.
He knew that his absence for this final exam meant that he would fail the class, which essentially quashed his hopes of becoming an engineer.
Reward
Mr. Maramenides pulled out his wallet and promptly took out $3,500 cash. He then approached Miguel to offer him the reward money. Miguel had no idea that there was a reward for finding the stolen dog. He did it out of the kindness of his heart.
He chose to save Zeus only because he felt it was the right thing to do. Nevertheless, Mr. Maramenides kept insisting that he take the money. Normally Miguel wouldn't take it, but in this case he really needed the money--especially considering he just lost out on a major career opportunity.
Christmas Shopping
Mr. Maramenides wouldn’t take no for an answer when Miguel first refused the money. He was so grateful to this man for bringing the member of his family home.
Miguel took the cash and told Zeus’s owner what he was going to do with the money, “I have two kids,” Miguel said. “I’m going to do some Christmas shopping for them and put the rest in their savings accounts.”
Makeup Exam
However, the story doesn’t end there. When Miguel’s professor heard about what Miguel had done, he was so impressed with the act of bravery that his student displayed.
As such, he offered Miguel another chance to take the test that he had missed!
The Right Choice
Miguel did what not many of us would do. He was faced with a difficult decision: to do what was right and put his future career, and family, in jeopardy or to take the test and leave the dog in harm's way.
He didn’t do it for a reward or for the praise, rather he did it because it was important for him, regardless of the cost, to bring happiness to a family that just had their dog stolen.
Faith in Humanity
This amazing story helps restore the faith in humanity by showing that there are really good people out there who care about doing the right thing, regardless of the cost.
For a family in North Carolina, faith was the only thing they could rely on.
Disaster Strikes
The Miller family just lost their North Carolina home to a disaster.
With Christmas fast approaching the family had no idea what they were going to do for the holiday.
Hurricane Florence
The Miller's house was destroyed when Hurricane Florence ravaged the East Coast in 2017.
Despite the tragedy, the family did not give up hope and firmly decided to rebuild.
Family Vacation
Jacob and Jamie Miller felt it was a good time to take the family on a vacation as a respite from the chaos going on. Their extended family invited the Miller's to Salt Lake City to spend the holidays together with the rest of the family.
As they were traveling by plane, the Miller's German Shepherd puppy, Frank, stayed behind with Grandma Miller.
Missing Jack
The Miller's were happy to celebrate the holidays with the rest of the family.
But the two Miller boys, Perryn and Rayner, were also sad that Jack wasn’t with them for the celebrations.
Something was Wrong
Shortly after the Miller's landed in Salt Lake City, their oldest son, Perryn felt intense pressure in his head and complained of painful headaches.
Perryn’s worried parents rushed him to the hospital right away.
Diagnostic Testing
Perryn underwent numerous tests to determine what was causing immense pains in his head.
The eight-year-old really wished his good friend, Jack, was there at his side for this frightening period.
A Parent's Worse Nightmare
What happened next is a parent’s worse nightmare.
After a myriad of complicated tests, the doctors diagnosis their eight-year-old son.
Diagnosis
The results of the tests showed that Perryn had a deadly tumor in his brain.
The doctors diagnosed Perryn with stage four glioblastoma multiforme, a deadly form of cancer.
Deathly Disease
Their worst nightmare had become a reality for Jacob and Jamie Miler. Their son had a life-threatening tumor, that could kill him at any moment.
Despite the black cloud hanging overhead, Jacob and Jamie Miler would not go down without a fight.
One Last Kiss
Perryn’s parents gave one last kiss to their terrified son before he was rushed to emergency surgery.
Jacob and Jamie promised that Jack would be there right after he got out of surgery.
Good News
After a terrifying few hours, the surgeon came out to tell Perryn’s parents the good news. They had successfully removed the cancerous tumor!
The surgeon cautioned the relieved parents, that although the immediate threat was neutralized, it will take a long time for Perryn to get back to full health.
Road to Recovery
Post-surgery, Perryn had to follow a rigorous schedule of chemotherapy and radiation to eradicate any remaining cancer cells.
With no house to return to, the Miller's had to stay in Salt Lake City until their son while their son was undergoing treatments.
Someone was Missing
Like every parent, the Miller's did whatever it took to make their son feel comfortable and safe throughout the difficult times that lay ahead.
The parents took a leave of absence from work so they could always be by Perryn’s side. They also knew that one important family member needed to come up to Salt Lake City.
Jack Needed to Come Home
Frank was living with Perryn’s grandmother in North Carolina ever since the Miller’s went up to Salt Lake City for the holidays.
The Miller's knew that no one could bring more comfort to their ailing son than his dog.
Too Expensive
The Miller's researched much it would cost to bring up Frank to Salt Lake City. The cheapest rate they found was $3,600.
Between the costs of the medical bills, relocating costs, and the money lost during John and Jamie’s leave of absence from work, they did not know how they would come up with the money to pay for Jack to come up to Salt Lake City.
Grandma's Idea
Perryn’s grandmother came up with an idea that just might work. She knew that the community kindly chipped in for the reconstruction of the Miller’s destroyed house.
So, she thought that maybe she can appeal to the community to contribute to another important cause.
Viral Post
Perryn’s grandmother posted on her Facebook page if anyone knew of a cost-effective way to transfer Jack back to Salt Lake City to be with her sick grandchild.
Little did she know that the post went viral.
Message Received
The viral post was read by hundreds of people, but one couple in Wisconson who read the post knew that they had to do something about it.
Jennifer Reynolds who read the post shared the story with her husband, Rob, a former truck driver.
No Hesitation
There was no hesitation on Rob’s part after he heard the story.
Rob notified Perryn’s grandmother that he would bring the dog back to the family on his own dime.
Load the Truck
The next day, Rob packed up his Subaru Outback to pick up Jack and bring him back to his owners in Salt Lake City.
Even though the drive from Ladysmith, Wisconsin to North Carolina would take twenty hours, Rob had no qualms because he knew it was the right thing to do.
Long Ride
Rob eventually reached Grandma Miller's home to pick up Jack.
It was going to be another long ride to Salt Lake City, but Rob was happy that not only was he doing the right thing, but that he also had a great travel companion for the tedious journey.
A Longer Ride
The trip from Grandma Miller’s home to Salt Lake City was going to take 2,300 miles.
On the way, Rob posted updates about his trip on Facebook.
A Great Companion
Rob was so happy to have such a great companion for the long drive.
He posted on Facebook, “Frank and I got along very well. He would sleep or play with his toys. We’d stop and go for walks. If he wanted to use the bathroom, he’d bump my right arm. He was perfect.”
52 Hours Later
Rob and Jack were having so much fun on their road trip that he offered the Miller’s to drive Frank back when the Millers returned to North Carolina.
Though after a 52-hour drive, he wouldn’t of minded if they took up his offer after getting a nap.
Final Destination
Rob and Frank reached the Miller’s home on a snowy January 5, 2019, day.
Even though no was outside, Frank knew that the Miller's were home, so he ran straight to the front door.
The Right Decision
Rob approached the door and rang the bell in anticipation. He was tired after a seventy-two-hour drive but felt alert that the moment Frank will be reunited with his family has arrived.
When the Miller’s answered the door, Rob knew right away that he made the right decision to bring the dog home.
Pure Joy
Perryn’s face lit up when Jack came into his room and gave him a lick on the face.
It had been so long, since the boy who was going through so much, had his best friend with him. Perryn said, “I felt really excited to see Frank. I just really like Frank, and he’s a good dog.”
Selfless Gesture
Jacob could not stop thanking Rob for the selfless gesture.
Jacob said “It’s been a whirlwind. It’s been hard. But it’s been overwhelmingly awesome at the same time.”
Faith
Rob brought a smile and comfort to the faces of the Miller's and their ailing son.
Rob did not do it for money or honor, but just to bring joy to a family that was going through so much. With the family back together, the Millers knew that with faith that their son will get better.
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