In Summit County, Colorado, an eight-year-old Sheltie is back home after he disappeared from his yard and had been missing for more than five weeks.
Mike Krugman, the dog named Riley’s owner, had been devastated when his dog disappeared. Riley had been his wife’s dog, who had passed away in January, and the dog always slept in bed with the couple. Now Riley’s home is completely fenced-in with a five-foot-tall fence, but a snow storm completely covered the fence, and that very snowy day, Riley just walked off.
According to Summit Lost Pet Rescue, that had been April 8, 2023, and at the time the organization sent out search protocols which included scent stations, signs, physical searches and social media posts. Members of the community searched for Riley, but the dog had just vanished. Where could he have gone?
THEN, after five weeks and one day, the owner and our Summit Lost Pet Rescue, Inc. team received a call from Summit County Animal Control and Shelter. Riley had been found on Peak 4 at 12,000 feet. A hiker in the area had been walking around and heard a loud bark, and there was Riley lying down under a tree.
He approached the dog slowly and quickly realized Riley didn’t even have the strength to walk. And so Riley got a four-mile ride down the mountain in a hero’s arms. That night, after carefully carrying the dog to safety, the hiker and his companion rushed the dog to an emergency veterinarian in Denver. The next day, the couple took Riley to the Humane Society of Summit County.
Talk about being in the right place at the right time!! He wrapped him up and carried him allllll the way down to town and brought him to the shelter the next morning to be reunited with his Daddy. Such a beautiful moment! Riley lost a lot of weight and had a low body temp but was treated at the vet right away. He is recovering so well now and getting his strength and feistiness back again with his fur-siblings.
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The hiker, Zachary Hackett had just moved to the area, and being on the trail where Riley was found had just been a random choice. He had been trying to head to a different area, but kept hitting obstacles because of the recent snow melting and rain.
When Riley left home, he weighed 24 pounds; after being at the vet for three days and receiving an IV, he only weighed about 12 pounds; the dog had lost half his weight. How lucky can one pooch get?
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@summit lost pet rescue
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