Encounter with a pup stopped a marathon runner in her tracks but what she did next won hearts

From stopping in their tracks to help opponents or showing compassion through extraordinary actions, sportspersons are known for their conduct as much as their competitive spirit. Running a marathon requires a lot of perseverance and grit, but kindness in such a scenario shines brighter than any medal. While other marathon runners dodged a little pup on the road, 43-year-old Khemjira Klongsanun couldn't bring herself to leave him behind, according to a Facebook post.

She saw the abandoned pup 26 miles into the marathon organized in the Ratchaburi region of western Thailand and halted her run to gently coax the trembling animal into her arms. Unable to find any houses or crowds nearby, Klongsanun took the canine with her and finished the remaining 19 miles of the race with the pup tucked under her arm.

A heartwarming footage of the moment was shared by Viral Press on YouTube where Klongsanun further shared the story about finding the puppy during the Jombueng marathon. As she finally made it across the finishing line with the pup, onlookers cheered for both of them. Klongsanun ended up adopting the dog who was just a few months old and named him Chombueng. "It seemed to me that this little guy was lost. There were no houses, no other dogs, or no people around. So, I picked up the puppy, if only to take him out of the unsafe environment," she told the news outlet, adding that she even tried to find the owner of the puppy when she finished the race but didn't meet any success.

Now, Chombueng is a part of Klongsanun's family with her two older dogs. "Running almost 20 miles carrying a dog was truly a challenge. It was two times more tiring than a normal marathon but I did it anyway just because he is adorable. It took a lot of time to take the new dog for checkups, vaccinations, and treatments but I'm glad to save him and willing to have him with other dog members in the family," she explained. "It might take a while for him to adapt himself. But Chombueng is a very smart boy. I'm sure he is going to be happy living with us." 

“Chombeung is about 8 months now and weighed in at 18 kilograms during his last veterinarian visit. He lived with us for six months now, and though I can’t be sure, I think he was about 2 months old when I found him,” Klongsanun told Coconuts Bangkok in July 2019. Chombueng's new pet parent felt that it "might take a while for him to adapt himself" but she feels hopeful since "Chombueng is a very smart boy." She is sure that "he is going to be happy living with them." Apart from participating in various marathons, Klongsanun is also actively engaged in rescuing animals and works towards providing homes for stray animals.

Her furry family already had 28 dogs and 30 cats when Chombueng joined them in the household. Klongsanun also shared with the outlet that many of these animals were left to her by their previous owners who felt that they wouldn't be able to care for them anymore. She dreams of a project that will build a rescue home for these abandoned and stray animals on a roughly 3-hectare piece of property in Chonburi's Phan Thong area. Klongsanun also plans to establish a fund to help stray dogs who have suffered accidents on the roads.