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01
Don Wargowsky is no stranger to extreme conditions, and regularly guides groups of people on month-long treks in the Himalayas. But one day, he found something he had never seen before at that altitude: a stray dog.
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The dog seemed to be following the group, and she was named after the mountain peak the group had just descended from: Mera.
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Even though the group was heading higher into the Himalayas, Mera decided that she wanted to come along for the adventure.
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She began sleeping inside Wargowsky's tent at night to escape the -30 degree Celcius temperatures at night.
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Mera proved herself to be a very skilled mountain climber, and didn't seem to have a problem with the cold temperatures or snow.
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She shared meals with the Sherpas and made friends with everyone in the group.
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Nepal is home to many stray dogs, many of which are infected with rabies. Mera, however, was healthy and clean.
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None of the mountain climbers or Sherpas had experienced having a dog with them at that altitude - usually, the only animals they saw up there were birds.
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09
Everyone on the trek became very attached to Mera, but most of them were unable to adipt her as they lived overseas.
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When the trek ended, it was difficult for everyone to say goodbye to Mera. But after such a special experience, they couldn't leave her on the streets. And they didn't.
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11
The expedition's base camp manager, who lives in Nepal, adopted Mera. And who knows, maybe that's only the beginning of the brave dog's mountain-climbing journey.
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