A marathon runner found a lost puppy while competing in a race before carrying him 19 miles to the finish line and later adopting him.
Khemjira Klongsanun, 43, noticed the other athletes dodging the dog seven miles into the 26-mile marathon in Ratchaburi, western Thailand.
She slowed down to kneel by the roadside and gently coax the trembling little Thai bangkaew breed dog over to her. With no houses or crowds nearby, she realized that the puppy was lost or had been abandoned and said that she feared he would struggle to survive in the wilderness.
Khemjira picked up the dog and cradled him to check he was safe, before, incredibly, running with him under her arm for a further 19 miles.
The heartwarming footage shows her running along with the puppy clutched in her hand as fellow competitors smiled and expressed their shock. At one point, she held the puppy up so onlookers could see it. She even crossed the finish line holding the dog. The shop owner has now adopted the dog, believed to be just a couple of months old, and named him Chombueng after the name of the marathon.
Khemjira said: 'It seemed to me that this little guy was lost. There were no houses, no other dogs, or no people around. So, I picked up the puppy, if only to take him out of the unsafe environment.'
She tried to find the owner of the puppy when she crossed the finish line but without success. She took him home and appealed again for the owner to come forward, but has not had any contact. Chombueng has now joined the family with Khemjira's two other grown-up dogs. Khemjira said: 'Running almost 20 miles carrying dog was truly a challenge. It was two times tiring than a normal marathon but I did it anyway just because he is adorable.
'It took a lot of time to take the new dog for checkups, vaccinations, and treatments but I'm glad to save him and willing to have him with other dog members in the family.
'It might take a while for him to adapt himself. But Chombueng is a very smart boy. I'm sure he is going to be happy living with us.'
Khemjira Klongsanun, 43, noticed the other athletes dodging the dog seven miles into the 26-mile marathon in Ratchaburi, western Thailand.
She slowed down to kneel by the roadside and gently coax the trembling little Thai bangkaew breed dog over to her. With no houses or crowds nearby, she realized that the puppy was lost or had been abandoned and said that she feared he would struggle to survive in the wilderness.
Khemjira picked up the dog and cradled him to check he was safe, before, incredibly, running with him under her arm for a further 19 miles.
The heartwarming footage shows her running along with the puppy clutched in her hand as fellow competitors smiled and expressed their shock. At one point, she held the puppy up so onlookers could see it. She even crossed the finish line holding the dog. The shop owner has now adopted the dog, believed to be just a couple of months old, and named him Chombueng after the name of the marathon.
Khemjira said: 'It seemed to me that this little guy was lost. There were no houses, no other dogs, or no people around. So, I picked up the puppy, if only to take him out of the unsafe environment.'
She tried to find the owner of the puppy when she crossed the finish line but without success. She took him home and appealed again for the owner to come forward, but has not had any contact. Chombueng has now joined the family with Khemjira's two other grown-up dogs. Khemjira said: 'Running almost 20 miles carrying dog was truly a challenge. It was two times tiring than a normal marathon but I did it anyway just because he is adorable.
'It took a lot of time to take the new dog for checkups, vaccinations, and treatments but I'm glad to save him and willing to have him with other dog members in the family.
'It might take a while for him to adapt himself. But Chombueng is a very smart boy. I'm sure he is going to be happy living with us.'
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