On December 5, Zach Holt and a very lucky dog named Zimba began a 1300 mile roadtrip from Ridgeley, Maryland to Wichita, Kansas.
Waiting at the end of that long journey was Zimba’s human, Ikea Mosley. Although ecstatic that the lost dog she had been searching for was safe, the single mother was unable to take the necessary time off work to retrieve him.
It all began last month when Mosley’s boyfriend left Kansas for a visit to Maryland with Zimba in tow. While he was away, the couple broke up and Mosley’s ex spitefully abandoned Zimba by the side of the road.
Luckily, Zimba has a microchip – one that Mosley keeps updated with her current contact information. When the 8-year-old pooch arrived at the Caroline County Humane Society (CCHS), rescue workers were able to trace him back to his rightful owner in Wichita.
The only problem was breaching the distance between the relieved owner and the homesick pooch. Mosley and CCHS staff contacted airlines only to be told Zimba would not be allowed to fly.
“She had been searching for Zimba and wanted him home,” CCHS posted on Facebook. “Now the big dilemma. How could we get him back to Wichita, Kansas?”
Enter Zach Holt, a former CCHS volunteer. When he heard about the stranded Pit Bull mix, he happily offered his driving services. And so, the Roadtrip Adventures of Zach & Zimba began!
The kindhearted young man loaded Zimba into the backseat of his car and they were off, taking selfies and update videos along the way.
The heartwarming story spread like wildfire with fans as far as Australia and Bosnia posting their support for Zach and Zimba on the CCHS Facebook page.
People touched by the story offered Zach and Zimba lodging in their homes, hot meals, gas money, paid motel room stays, etc. Local businesses back home in Maryland vowed to reward Zach’s kind deed by covering his electric bill for the month and washing his car as well as changing its oil after the trip!
A campaign was even started to bring Zach and Zimba’s adventures to the attention of famous animal lover, Ellen DeGeneres.
The bonded buddies arrived in Wichita on December 7 where Zimba’s reunion with Mosley was captured by local news crews.
“I’m very, very thankful, like I’m like speechless, because I really can’t believe you drove all the way here,” a stunned Mosley said to Holt as she embraced Zimba for the first time in months.
The ever-humble hero of the story, Zach Holt said:
“This is the best riding companion I’ve ever seen, he was great, he napped the entire way, everything was perfectly fine he had no complaints.”
CCHS added via Facebook:
“We can never thank Zach enough for driving all the way from Ridgely, MD to Wichita, KS to make one family’s…. and one dog’s… Christmas wish come true. There truly is no place like home.
Hopefully we can all take a lesson from this… as Zach said in his interview, using the words of his friend Ben Cahall…. we should all JUST TRY. We can all make a difference. No matter how large or how small.”
Holt has since arrived safely back home in Maryland!
H/T to Breitbart.com
Featured Image via Facebook/Caroline County Humane Society
via Whisker Therapy