Two years ago, rescuers in Washington state found a heavily pregnant German shepherd wandering the woods alone. She was taken in by Jim Branson, founder of Useless Bay Sanctuary, and the very next day she gave birth to a single tiny puppy — a little one “about the size of a burrito.” They named him Tino.
Back then, no one could have guessed that Tino would one day return to the forest — not as a lost pup, but as a hero.
As Tino grew, he began tagging along to search-and-rescue training sessions. Even as a young puppy, his talent was obvious.
“He tested well at about 5 months old and started training,” Branson told The Dodo. “He found the lost dog every single time in his sessions.”
After 16 months of work, Branson officially adopted Tino and welcomed him as a member of Three Retrievers Lost Pet Rescue.
Not long after, Tino’s skills were put to the ultimate test.
An 11-year-old Great Pyrenees named Puppy — deaf and weighing 150 pounds — had gone missing during a horseback ride with his owner.
At some point on the trail, Puppy got separated and never made it back home. Volunteers searched the woods, but because Puppy couldn’t hear their calls, the hours slipped by with no sign of him.
Two days later, Branson and Tino joined the search. Armed with a bit of Puppy’s fur as a scent article, Tino raced into the woods to track the trail.
For 45 minutes, he bounded over logs and through thick brush until he suddenly stopped at a swampy mud pit — barking nonstop.
At first, Branson couldn’t see anything. Then came a faint whine.
“When we first saw Puppy, it was hard to make sense of what we were seeing,” Branson said. “Two-thirds of him were submerged in mud. Tino barked at this strange swamp monster until he realized it was a dog.”
Puppy was completely stuck. Using leashes, branches, and eventually ropes, Branson, Tino, and Puppy’s family worked together to slowly pull the heavy dog free.
“I put Tino’s leash under Puppy and tried to haul him out,” Branson explained. “He was stuck so firmly that I didn’t want to pull harder for fear of hurting his legs. The owner’s husband brought more ropes and straps, and the three of us eased Puppy out a little at a time.”
Exhausted from being trapped for over a day, Puppy couldn’t stand, so rescuers carefully loaded him into an ATV trailer and brought him home.
He was filthy and tired, but alive — thanks to Tino.
Just as Tino was saved as a helpless newborn, he now saves others. Each search is his way of giving back, and nothing makes him happier than guiding lost pets back to the families who love them.
“He’s always excited to go out and help,” Branson said proudly.
To support rescues like Tino’s, you can make a donation to Useless Bay Sanctuary.
