'A Real Miracle': Dog Saves Stranded Hiker After Fall Causes Serious Injury

Many people like to think of their dogs as man’s best friend, but North, an eight-month-old Alaskan malamute from Croatia, has proven that he is.

North was hiking with a group of three over the weekend in the Velebit mountain range, which is along the Adriatic coastline.

While many dogs would be miserable in the cold and snow, Alaskan malamutes thrive in those conditions. They are often confused with Siberian huskies, but are larger dogs with thicker coats.

“Everything about Mals suggests their origin as an arctic sled 🐕Dog: The heavy bone, deep chest, powerful shoulders, and dense, weatherproof coat all scream, ‘I work hard for a living!'” the page for the breed on the American Kennel Club’s website states.

“But their almond-shaped brown eyes have an affectionate sparkle, suggesting Mals enjoy snuggling with their humans when the workday is done.”

It was North’s snuggling that saved one of the hikers. When Grga Brkic took a tumble and was unable to get up again, the other two hikers couldn’t reach him, so they worked to get help.

North did what he could do, too: He made his way over to Brkic, curled up on him and stayed with him for the 13 hours it took for help to arrive.