Premium

‘Loyalty humans can’t afford’: Pet dog guards teen’s body for 4 days in Himachal’s freezing snowfall

For nearly four days, the dog remained beside the young boy in brutal conditions, enduring icy winds, deep snow, and complete isolation, without food or water.

3 min readNew DelhiJan 27, 2026 07:01 PM IST

Vikasit Rana, 19, and his 13-year-old cousin Piyush Kumar went missing after trekking to the Bharmani Mata Temple in Bharmour

A tragic incident in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district has become a powerful story of devotion, leaving many shaken.

Vikasit Rana, 19, and his 13-year-old cousin Piyush Kumar went missing on January 23 after trekking to the Bharmani Mata Temple in Bharmour, where they had gone to record videos. Heavy snowfall soon cut off access to the area, making rescue efforts difficult. When teams finally managed to reach the remote, snow-covered site days later, they discovered Piyush’s body, and next to him, a dog that had refused to abandon him.

Watch the video:

For nearly four days, the dog remained beside the young boy in brutal conditions, enduring icy winds, deep snow, and complete isolation, without food or water. While drones and helicopters scanned the region from the air, the animal stayed on the ground, standing watch in silence. Rescue workers said the dog showed no signs of aggression or panic, only calm resolve.

Moved by the sight, the rescue team made sure the dog was airlifted along with the body. Bharmour MLA Dr Janak Raj later confirmed that the animal was safely brought down and handed over to the family. “The pet belonged to Viksit Rana but was found keeping watch near Piyush’s body,” he said.

According to the Himachal SDRF, the rescue operation wrapped up on Monday afternoon. Teams first spotted tents around 9.30 am. One body was recovered at 10 am and flown to the Chaurasi temple helipad, while the second was located at 1.35 pm. The bodies were later handed over to the families for the final rites, as reported by HT.com.

A heartbreaking story 💔

On January 23, two young cousins 19-year-old Vikas Rana and 13-year-old Piyush set out to visit the Bharmani Mata temple. What began as a spiritual journey turned into a tragedy when sudden heavy snowfall, freezing winds, and lost mountain paths… pic.twitter.com/goChK1jvMX

— Vidit Sharma 🇮🇳 (@TheViditsharma) January 27, 2026

Videos from the rescue have since spread rapidly online, prompting an outpouring of emotion. “That’s loyalty.! Humans can’t afford it,” one user wrote. Journalist Barkha Dutt called it “the saddest and most moving news I have seen today.”

This is the saddest and most moving news I have seen today 💔 https://t.co/yCr6dKnFDT

— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) January 27, 2026

Another comment read, “Dog might be freezing & hungry to death there but chose to stay regardless. It can’t just leave them there even if they’re corpse. No wonder, Dog is called Human’s Best Friend.”

Story continues below this ad

Yet another user summed up the sentiment many shared: “Dogs, cats, animals are more humane than most humans.”