When 82-year-old Rimma Bulatova left her home in Aurora, NY she brought her Bearded Collie-mix, Raia, with her. Raia is a rescue that the family adopted but little did Rimma know she would be returning the favor.
Rimma and Raia wandered into the woods that has steep hills and fast creeks. On the harsh, rainy day, Rimma strayed from her usual path and quickly became lost. After hours passed, she took shelter under a tree.
Her family began to notice that Rimma hadn't returned. That's when Raia showed up, soaking wet on their door step.
They knew something was wrong and began to search for Rimma and alerted the police. "[Raia] came back home and we immediately realized that something is really strange, something is wrong,"said Marina Antoch, Rimma's daughter-in-law.
How did Raia end up back home? Rimma told her to, "Go home and get help!" Raia followed the command and ran back. We've seen this before; Ella led rescuers to her humans after a car crash.
"The dog is a very reliable dog," Marina says. "She never received any special training but she's just smart." Police were able to find Rimma, who was shivering under a tree but unharmed.
"Luckily Timmy wasn't in a well," Aurora Police Chief Shane Krieger joked. "She knew if the dog returned home that the family would be concerned and would start looking for her. So she told the dog to go home, the dog listened to her, and it worked out fantastic."
See this incredible story of a "real life Lassie" below and please SHARE if you think dogs were all born to be heroes!
