Stranger carries a frightened 100-pound dog across a boulder field

Amanda Bowler and some friends were hiking to Alaska's Reeds Lake last weekend. Accompanying them was a friend's 100-pound Bull Mastiff named Bocephus. All was going fine until, about 2/3 of the way through the hike, Bocephus had 'a colossal meltdown.' Frightened, he hunkered down and refused to move. To make matters worse, a couple of passing hikers told of an aggressive grizzly which had terrorized hikers and their dogs near the lakes earlier that day.

The three young women knew they had to move on so they urged the dog forward. Bocephus wouldn't budge. They tried to carry him, even pass him between them hot potato style as they walked. They didn't make it far before the struggle became too great.

A second small group of hikers noticed their problem and approached. One of them, later identified as Ryan Pepp with the US Army in Anchorage, took off his own pack and slung Bocephus around his shoulders. Pepp then carried the dog across the boulder field until they reached a spot where the dog could continue safely on his own.