Kevin Leurquin is a keen hiker who was regularly joined on his adventures by his dog, Driver. When Driver passed away, it left a huge hole in Kevin's heart, and he immediately thought of a very special way to honour his memory.
Once he had his beloved pet's ashes, he decided to take one last hike with Driver. His plan was to scatter them on Mount Everest, travelling first through Nepal. But this touching tribute didn't quite go as planned.
A touching tribute
While Kevin did manage to complete his trek on Mount Everest and scatter Driver's ashes as he had hoped, he could never have predicted what would happen next.
On the last day of his trip in Nepal, he decided to visit a local dog rescue centre. He knew that the situation for stray dogs there was dire. According to a 2022 local report, there are around 24,000 stray dogs living on the streets of Kathmandu, the country's capital.
When he arrived at the KAT Centre Nepal rescue, a very young, three-legged female puppy quickly came to greet him... and it was love at first sight! Even though adopting a dog from Nepal was going to be complicated, Kevin was determined to get the puppy all the way to his home in Wisconsin, USA, some 7,000 miles away.
A new beginning
Thanks to a huge wave of support, the little puppy, now named Summit, was able to make the long journey in early December 2023, seven months after Kevin's visit to the rescue centre.
Today, Summit is all grown up and has taken over from Driver. She joins Kevin on all his adventures despite her disability, and he has even dedicated an Instagram account to her, called @summittheadventuredog.
Deeply moved by this unforgettable encounter, Kevin is now working on a book to share their story. He plans to donate part of the proceeds to the rescue centre that brought Summit into his life. From up above, Driver must be very proud of him!
