Heartbreaking Rescue: Goldendoodle Saves Baby Fawn from Drowning, Only for Tragedy to Strike Moments After Reaching Shore

The pup’s owners – Ralph Dorn and his wife Pat, both Military veterans – posted pictures and videos of Harley in the middle of the lake behind their Virginia home and ushering the fawn back to shore.

Harley, a six-year-old Goldendoodle, with his new fawn friend that he rescued from a lake

Harley went into the middle of the lake to get the fawn and usher it back to shore

They paddled back to land together

Harley, once a therapy dog, never left the baby deer’s side

Harley helped push the baby deer out of the water before Dorn helped Harley to shore

In the pictures and video, Harley is seen paddling with his new friend until they reach Dorn, who’s waiting for them at the shore line.

He helps Harley out of the water while his Goldendoodle licks the baby deer.

‘Harley didn’t want to leave the fawn,’ Dorn tells PEOPLE. ‘He just kept interacting with it, licking it, caring for it.’

‘Harley didn’t want to leave the fawn,’ the dog’s owner Ralph Dorn tells PEOPLE . ‘He just kept interacting with it, licking it, caring for it’

Ralph and his wife Pat shared pictures of the heartfelt moment on Facebook, which went viral

The morning after the rescue, Dorn said Harley was restless so he let him out. ‘Harley ran into the tree line and found the fawn. The little one stopped bleating, tail wagging, they touched noses sniffed each other and Harley came calmly back to the house with me,’ Dorn said on Facebook

Harley has worked as a certified therapy dog, visiting the elderly in care facilities and sitting with children during reading hours at the local library.

The viral Facebook post was well received. ‘We’re very happy that it has touched so many people, and brought joy to so many as well,’ Pat Dorn said