A few years ago, married couple Maxime and Issy set out to conquer Bobotov Kuk — the tallest peak in Montenegro, rising more than 8,000 feet into the sky.
They expected breathtaking views. Crisp mountain air. That triumphant feeling of standing on top of the world.
What they didn’t expect was to find a broken dog waiting there.
When they reached the summit, they saw him lying on his side against the rocks — motionless. His body was thin, his leg wrapped in a dirty, old bandage. He looked like he hadn’t eaten properly in weeks. And yet, when they knelt beside him, something extraordinary happened.
He wagged his tail.
Even in pain. Even abandoned. Even barely able to move — he wagged his tail.
They offered him water. A can of tuna. He ate gently, gratefully, as if he knew these strangers were different. As if he understood help had finally arrived.
Maxime tried to lift him into his backpack to carry him down the mountain. But the dog was too big. The descent was steep and dangerous. The supplies they had weren’t enough.
So they faced a decision no animal lover ever wants to make.
They had to leave him there — just for the night — and promise they would come back.
Neither of them slept.
The next morning, Issy stayed behind to gather blankets and supplies while Maxime climbed all the way back up to the summit. This time, he wasn’t alone. A member of a local mountain rescue team, Blažo, joined him.
Together, they reached the injured dog again — still alive.
They wrapped him carefully in a blanket, gripping the four corners and hoisting him onto their shoulders. Step by step, they carried him down the towering mountain.
“We took turns carrying him on our backs,” Maxime later shared. “We just put him in the blanket, grabbed the corners, and carried him over our shoulders.”
Somewhere during that long descent, as Maxime felt the weight of the dog against his back, something shifted in his heart.
He named him Bobo — after Bobotov Kuk.
And he knew, deep down, that they had reached the summit that day for a reason.
“I’m sure he wouldn’t have made it,” Maxime said. “He was in that bad of shape.”
When they finally reached the bottom, Issy had her own surprise. While organizing supplies to help Bobo, she’d rescued a tiny stray kitten. They named her Voli.
In a single day, they had saved two lives.
Bobo was rushed to the vet for treatment. His leg was severely infected, but the truth was even more devastating. During a later examination, doctors discovered that his injury wasn’t from an accident.
He had been shot.
The bullet had shattered his leg beyond repair. Amputation was the only way to save him.
It was a painful decision — but it gave Bobo something priceless: a future.
And Bobo? He refused to let the loss define him.
Just days after surgery, he was already trying to hop, run, and explore. His spirit was untouched. His joy unstoppable.
“It’s crazy how agile he is,” Maxime said. “When we’re hiking in the mountains, he’s always the one in front waiting for us.”
The dog who was once left to die at 8,000 feet now leads the way on mountain trails.
Today, Bobo and Voli travel the world with Maxime and Issy in their camper van. Days are spent exploring forests, climbing hills, breathing in freedom. Nights are filled with warmth — the van glowing softly as the little family curls up together.
“We often catch them cuddling on the couch,” Maxime said. “Sometimes Voli is even cleaning him.”
It’s hard to believe that not long ago, Bobo lay alone on a cold mountaintop with a bullet wound and no hope.
But sometimes, the difference between tragedy and a second chance is simply someone choosing to climb back up.
And because Maxime and Issy did, Bobo’s life didn’t end on a mountain.
It began there.
To keep up with Bobo and Voli, you can follow them here.
