As the sun began to set on June 2, Ralph Dorn went outside his house to look for his beloved dog, Harley. He scanned the lake area and noticed that his Goldendoodle was swimming with a small creature around 200 feet away from the shoreline. Upon closer inspection, Dorn realized that the animal his pup was swimming with was actually a baby deer.
The reason for the fawn’s presence was unknown, but Harley didn’t hesitate to help. Dorn, who resides in Culpeper, Virginia, shared the story on Facebook and it has since gone viral with over 250,000 shares.
Harley accompanied the fawn until they reached the shore while Dorn encountered them and helped the baby deer climb a challenging cliff. After taking the fawn out of the pond and putting her on the grass, Harley started licking her body very softly.
Dorn shares with PEOPLE that Harley had a strong attachment to the fawn and didn’t want to part ways with it. The canine continuously showed affection by licking and nurturing the young animal.
As the fawn arrived at the seaside, its mother appeared on the lawn shortly thereafter. When Dorn noticed the deer, he immediately brought Harley inside their neighboring home. Once they left, the doe took her little one and went on her way. However, the following morning, Dorn and his 64-year-old wife, Patricia, were enjoying their coffee when something seemed amiss.
As he dashed from one window to another, Harley seemed to be getting more and more worked up. According to a post on Facebook by Dorn, the moment they opened the front door, they could hear the fawn crying out.
As per the author’s account, Harley, the protagonist of the story, dashed into the dense forest and stumbled upon a baby deer. Upon their encounter, the fawn stopped crying and started wagging its tail with excitement. Both of them curiously sniffed each other and touched noses before Harley calmly came back to the house with the author.
According to Dorn, he had a chance to reunite with Harley, the fawn, but it was only for a short while. However, after the reunion, the baby deer became calm, and soon after, both the mother and child disappeared. Since then, Dorn hasn’t seen the fawn and its mother, which he estimated to be just a few days old.
