A 10-year-old dog that ran away into the Rocky Mountains in the freezing winter survived for 43 days in the wilderness before being rescued and reunited with its owner.
Escapes While at Pet Sitter
Owner Steven Maa dropped off his brindle dog, Rocky, with a pet sitter on December 28th while stopping in Montezuma to ski on his way to California for a new job. Rocky got spooked and bolted into the snow-covered mountains, disappearing without a trace.
Maa and his partner Kate searched through the night amidst a snowstorm before contacting the Summit Lost Pet Rescue organization.
Tracking Amidst Sub-Zero Temperatures
The rescue team installed trail cameras and set up "scent stations" with blankets and familiar items to entice the dog to return. Three days later, cameras confirmed Rocky was still alive in sub-zero temperatures.
After that, the dog did not reappear for the next 40 days.
Maa spent over a week scouring the mountainsides before he had to continue his move to California, while volunteers continued the search.
Captured After 43 Days of Survival
On February 9th, a resident's doorbell camera captured images of a dog believed to be Rocky. The rescue team immediately returned to Montezuma, setting traps with familiar scents.
Rocky entered the trap, but the door mechanism failed to trigger. After peanut butter was applied to the trap, the dog returned a few hours later and was safely secured this time.
When rescued, Rocky was emaciated, having lost almost half his body weight, but his overall health was stable.
An Emotional Reunion
On February 13th, Rocky was reunited with his owner. Maa described the moment of reunion as very emotional. The dog's personality hadn't changed, quickly reverting to his "cuddly self."
Rocky now lives with his owner in California, far from the cold mountains and back to his familiar family life.
