How Harley Became a Real-Life Hero Rescue, Comfort, and Reunion
Everyone likes to believe their canine companions would jump into action if they noticed someone or something in danger. However, most dogs will never be in a position to save a life or avert a catastrophe. That’s probably a good thing, as watching one of your best friends risk their life for others would be incredibly stressful. In 2021, a Virginia family experienced precisely that as they witnessed their goldendoodle attempt a heroic rescue with a heartwarming aftermath. During an early summer evening, Ralph Dorn’s dog, Harley, was gone. He started surveying the lake behind his Culpepper, Virginia, home when he spotted the goldendoodle about 200 feet from shore. At first, he wondered what his dog was doing in the water, but he soon realized his trusty pup was not alone. Harley was swimming alongside a tiny baby deer.
the deer’s mother, Dorn escorted his heroic canine indoors. The fawn and mother walked away, seemingly never to be seen again. That was, until the next morning.
Harley appeared restless that morning, running from
window to window. Dorn opened the front door to see what was happening when he heard the fawn bleating. The deer had returned, eager to thank its rescuer! The two ran toward each other, touching noses and sniffing one another before Harley returned indoors. The brief reunion was enough to calm the fawn and Harley down, and Dorn has not seen either deer since that day. But that’s not Harley’s only heroic feat. The proud pup has also spent time as a certified therapy dog, providing comfort and companionship to seniors in care facilities and children reading at the local library. We can all hope our dogs would take the same actions as Harley if presented with a similar opportunity!
“Not sure how the fawn got out there, but Harley obviously didn’t ask why. He just jumped into action,” Dorn, 62, wrote in a Facebook post.
Professional truck drivers work around the clock to deliver more than 70% of the nation’s total freight shipments, working at all hours and often spending weeks away from their homes and loved ones to serve customers in distant destinations. But commercial drivers are still saddled with a downbeat image among some people who regard them as reckless or too exhausted to drive safely. On a popular subreddit, r/Truckers, some drivers complain that others look down on their profession. The 37,000-member American Trucking Association (ATA) is conducting a multiyear media, digital, and grassroots campaign to polish truck drivers’ professional image and inform consumers and legislators about the critical role they play in the economy. The ATA’s “Nothing Without Trucking” campaign, launched in 2024, is the industry group’s most assertive promotion yet. Revving Up Respect MEDIA CAMPAIGN PROMOTES TRUCKERS’ IMAGE Harley helped the fawn to shore, where Dorn greeted the animals and helped them climb back onto dry land. Once the deer was out of the water, Harley immediately started licking the fawn to comfort and calm it down. Harley didn’t want to leave the fawn, but after spotting
It invites viewers to imagine the nation without truck drivers — grocery stores with empty
shelves and health care facilities where life-saving drugs arrive too late or not at all. “Everything you need and want is delivered by a truck,” a spokesman says. And 80% of communities rely solely on trucking to receive supplies and products. The industry “instills a quiet confidence in every American that we can effortlessly get the products and goods we need precisely when we need them,” the spokesman says. The campaign also promotes in-person events for truckers to meet elected officials, legislators, and consumers. Among the best parts of the campaign are dozens of videos submitted by working truck drivers telling their stories. One describes how drivers in Alaska sometimes navigate 130 inches of snow, adding that it takes “a certain bravado to be an Alaskan driver.” Another, a 36-year veteran, describes “falling in love” with the work, including “the great degree of independence, the freedom, the road — it’s a lifestyle, not a job.” Emily Plummer, a Missouri driver with 25 years and 3.5 million miles of experience, says in her video that she quit her small-town factory job at age 21 and never looked back. The campaign website is NothingWithoutTrucking.com . The ATA’s efforts will continue later this year with its annual celebration of the profession during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. The event, an annual recognition since 1988, is set for Sept. 14–20.
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