In the Kukru Kanda Hills of Bharmour, Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district, a sad and moving story has come to light after a long search. Two young men who went missing last week were found dead in deep snow on January 26, 2026. The most heartbreaking part of the story is that their loyal dog stayed with them for days even after they died and was later rescued after about 72 hours.
The victims were 19-year-old Vikas Rana from Malkota village and his 13-year-old cousin, Piyush Kumar from Gharer. The boys had left on January 23 to visit the Bharmani Mata Temple, a well-known religious spot high up in the hills. They wanted to take videos and enjoy the views.
A touching story from Chamba, Himachal Pradesh: A pet dog stayed by its owner’s body for 4 days in freezing snow. Hunger and cold didn’t matter — only loyalty did.#Chamba #HimachalNews #Humanity #LoyalCompanion #doglovers pic.twitter.com/h0Klltue2E
— Globalfootprintin (@footprint_in) January 27, 2026
The weather changed suddenly after they went to take videos on the upper side
Soon after they climbed higher, heavy snow and bad weather hit the area. They lost their way and disappeared. Their families could not contact them after a short phone call on the same day, and fear began to grow.
Local police, volunteers, villagers, NDRF, SDRF and mountaineering rescue teams began searching the treacherous, snow-covered forest above the temple. They used drones and even two Indian Army helicopters to search from above, but thick fog and deep snow made it extremely difficult.
Loyal dog stayed through blizzard with the bodies
After three days of intense searching, on January 26, the rescue team finally found the boys’ bodies buried under deep snow in the remote hills. What they saw next shocked and touched many hearts. Piyush’s pet dog was sitting right beside his body, cold and weak, but still refusing to leave even after days without food or water. The dog had stayed beside both boys through blizzards and freezing nights. The dog didn’t let anyone near the owners body and started barking.
Local leaders confirmed the news. Bharmour MLA Janak Raj said the bodies and the dog were brought down by helicopter and handed over to the grieving families. The pet was also returned to the boys’ relatives.
People across the region have been deeply moved by the dog’s loyalty, with many sharing their feelings and calling the scene “unbelievably emotional” and “a true sign of devotion.”
Similar Stories of Loyalty and Survival
This is not the only time animals have shown extreme loyalty in tragedy. In Colorado, USA, a dog stayed beside its owner’s body for more than 10 weeks after a hiking accident in freezing mountains, surviving until rescued and later reunited with the family.
