A dog has somehow survived 43 days in the Rocky Mountains despite subzero temperatures and a hostile environment. The dog, ironically named Rocky, showed his inner survival man.
Rocky is now back with his owner after the terrifying ordeal. He got free on December 28 after escaping his harness. Fortunately, he was eventually found, according to Brandon Ciullo, the founder and mission coordinator for Summit Lost Pet Rescue. Speaking with Cowboy State Daily, Ciullo says the dog was severely malnourished upon being discovered.
"He's a survivor," said Ciullo. "He went from 50 pounds down to 26 pounds, but he didn't starve and wasn't killed after 43 days. He went against all the odds. Steve wanted to go skiing for a day, so he gave Rocky over to a pet walker. After he left, within a few minutes, Rocky got really spooked and wiggled out of his harness."
Summit Lost Pet Rescue began looking for the dog in the Rockies for more than a month. Rocky wouldn't be the first to get free and disappear.
Dog Survives for Weeks
"Summit County is a huge hub and touristy spot in the Western Slope," Ciullo said. "A lot of people come up here for vacation, they like to walk their dogs off-leash, and accidents happen. It's become such a need that we've networked every lost pet rescue team from Evergreen to Utah."
The team set up stations with cameras to try to track the dog down.
"We set up comfort and scent stations, multiple cameras, and put up our neon sign," he said. "We started blasting emails, HOAs, and social media with information. Steve didn't think he'd survive the night, but elements are the last thing we worry about. It's vehicles, wildlife, and then the elements. We knew Rocky was still around."
But as the days stretched into weeks and months, even Ciuloo was doubtful they would find the dog.
"I let my anger and disappointment take over," he said. "If we don't find a dog or have a sighting in 30 days, we've never found the dog. That's only happened a handful of times, so we started to get discouraged."
On Day 36, they decided to scale back the search for the animal. But a week later, Rocky appeared on someone's Ring camera. They ended up capturing the dog with a box trap after repeatedly baiting it.
"As soon as we opened up the trap, he jumped out like a god—-n 9-month-old, vibrant puppy," he said. "We couldn't believe how well and good-spirited he was. All he wanted to do was eat."
From there, Rocky was reunited with his owner.
