In an area about 50 miles southeast of Seattle, Amanda Guarascio and her friend, Dylan Parkinson, went searching for a dog they had heard about. Apparently, he had been roaming the wilderness for months and appeared to be a mixed breed of sorts. People had thrown food to him and he earned the nickname “Baby Bear,” but no one could get close enough to help him out and his ribs were visibly showing. The two tried to lure him closer to them until 3 AM on the first day, but to no avail.
She and Dylan returned the next day, but not even a pocket full of bologna could lure Baby Bear to them. So, Amanda came up with a plan. She laid down on the ground near him and curled up in the fetal position, hoping he would become interested in her. Baby Bear came close enough to smell her, but lost interest and wandered a little further off the road. After 20 minutes, Amanda gave up and returned to Dylan’s truck to warm up a little bit. Unwilling to give up, Dylan left to start warning incoming drivers of what was happening on the road ahead, while Amanda stayed behind and and laid down once again near Baby Bear. She put her back to him and slowly started crawling in reverse, inching closer and closer. Whenever she felt that he was growing uncomfortable, or she heard a growl, she would curl back into the fetal position and stay put.
Finally, she got rather close by whimpering to make him think she was injured and managed to lay back-to-back with him. They laid like this for a while, cuddling while Amanda comforted him. Then, a big truck passed by and Baby Bear was scared away. But, did Amanda give up? Oh no. She and Dylan regrouped, and around 9 o’clock at night, she was able to slip a lead around him, but he wouldn’t walk. So, Amanda did the only thing she could think of and picked him up. He didn’t fight back; he didn’t even growl. She loaded him into the truck and ended up carrying him straight into the veterinarian’s office. Baby Bear was found to be horribly underweight and had some minor skin and ear infections, but is undergoing treatment. No one has come forth to claim him, but Useless Bay Sanctuary rescue group will care for him and find him a new home when the time comes. Personally, I can’t help but wonder if Baby Bear might find a home with his amazing rescuer?
View photos of Amanda’s amazing rescue here, as documented by her and Dylan:

- Amanda And Dylan’s First Sighting
- At The Veterinarian’s – Inching No Longer Necessary
- Getting Closer…
- How Amanda Started Her Slow Crawl Towards Baby Bear
- Amanda and Dylan Knew He Needed Help
Reference: 1. USA Today