Thames, a 3-year-old German shepherd, went lost during a rescue mission in the Tararua Ranges of New Zealand. He was alone in the highlands for 7 days and nights as New Zealand Police looked for their missing buddy.
Thames was reconnected with his handler, Constable Mike Wakefield, on Sunday after a six-person rescue team sent out to seek for him discovered a new pawprint in the muck and tracked him home. Thames, although being taught to be quiet, couldn’t stop himself from leaping on his handler and kissing him, as seen in a video provided by the New Zealand Police.
Wakefield felt the same way. “He’s quite delighted to see me,” he adds in the video, as Thames attempts to knock him over.
“I’m relieved to see him.” “He ate half of my salami, which is a delight for him,” Wakefield said in a statement.
“I cuddled him and we had a great time.” “I was at a loss for words.”
