Fawn Returns to Visit the Dog That Saved Him from Drowning in a Lake

The dog's owners were surprised when the tiny fawn came to thank their dog for saving it from drowning in a lake in Virginia.

In Virginia, a dog owner named Ralph Dorn shared the incredible story of his dog, a Goldendoodle named Harley, rescuing a fawn from drowning in a lake behind the family's home.

Dorn was looking across the lake for his dog when he noticed the six-year-old canine swimming about 200 feet offshore and another animal swimming with him.

After a few moments, Dorn realized the small creature was a baby deer. In a viral Facebook post with over 250,000 shares, Dorn wrote about the story and shared multiple photos and videos from the incident.

The stunned pet owner explained that he was not sure how the little animal got into the water, but "Harley obviously didn’t ask why, he just jumped into action." The dog jumped into the water and helped the distressed animal back to shore.

Dorn shared a photo of the fawn and her mother when they reunited. However, he said their story continued the next day. Dorn and his wife, Pat Dorn, were enjoying their morning coffee when they noticed Harley being restless and moving from window to window while staring out their large garden.

Harley is not the only golden retriever doing its part to help its struggling animal friends out of the water.

Dorn heard the fawn bleating, and as he opened the door, Harley made a beeline for the trees and found the fawn. The two animals touched noses, sniffing each other before Harley calmly returned home with his owner.

Dorn told People magazine that the deer and its mother were gone by the end of the day and that they have not seen them since. He guessed that the fawn was only a couple of days old.

The proud dog owner shared that he was not completely surprised by his dog's actions as he has always had a good heart, and "he has always been like that with children and animals. He loves them all."

Harley is not the only golden retriever doing its part to help its struggling animal friends out of the water. A dog named Storm saved a young deer from drowning in Long Island Sound in 2017.

Storm and its owner, Mark Freely, were walking along Long Island Sound when they noticed a deer struggling in the water. Storm immediately jumped in the water and dragged the distressed animal to safety.

Another helpful dog named Wally helped a Woodchuck get across a lake in Massachusetts. Wally, who loves swimming, was in the water when the little animal jumped on his back and hitched a ride to shore.