Stray dog joins athletes on 430-mile trek through Amazon - and gets adopted
A stray dog started following a group of athletes on a dangerous trek in Ecuador - and worked his way into their hearts and, eventually, a new home.
The four Swedish athletes were taking part in the 430-mile Adventure Racing World Championship when they sat down for a meal in the Ecuadorian forest.
Mikael Lindnord spotted a stray dog out of the corner of his eye and gave him a meatball, thinking nothing of it.
But the dog started following them, and didn't stop. The team eventually accepted he was determined to be their companion, and named him Arthur.
According to the Daily Mail, Arthur stuck with his new friends through thick and thin, swimming alongside them when they kayaked down rivers, getting himself up hills for hikes, and tackling knee-deep mud during treks.
When the team went to kayak, they were told they had to leave Arthur because it was too dangerous - for them and the dog. But when they pushed off, Arthur jumped in and started paddling alongside them - and Linford reached in and brought him into his boat, to the cheers of the watching crowds.
After six days, the team finished the race and took the dog for a check-up at a vet in South America.
They knew they couldn't leave him and decided to adopt him and try to take him back to Sweden.
Linford applied to the Jordbruksverket (the Swedish Board of Agriculture) and had to wait a tense few days before he eventually got to take him home.
The team have put pictures and updates of the story, and trying to get Arthur home, on their Facebook page.
Post by Team Peak Performance.
Post by Team Peak Performance.
Linford said finally: "I came to Ecuador to win the World Championship. Instead, I got a new friend."
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