After surviving 43 days on his own in Colorado's snowy mountains, a 10-year-old dog named Rocky has drawn attention online by making it back to his owner.
What happened?
Rocky went missing in Montezuma, Colorado, on Dec. 28, just minutes after his owner, Steven Maa, left him with a pet sitter during a ski stop, NJ.com reported. Startled, he slipped free of his harness and ran into rugged backcountry at about 10,000 feet.
Summit Lost Pet Rescue got involved after Maa and his partner searched through a snowstorm until around 3 a.m. The nonprofit deployed trail cameras, a scent station, and area alerts.
A breakthrough finally came on Feb. 9, when a resident's Ring camera appeared to show Rocky after 40 days without a sighting. He had been seen a few times early on, and Maa spent eight days searching before continuing his move to California for a new job while volunteers kept looking. Rescuers then set a trap with Maa's clothing and scent trails, and Rocky later returned and was secured.
A YouTube video shows Rocky and Maa together again on Feb. 13, and the pet rescue said Rocky's rescue became the longest missing-dog case in its history.
Why does it matter?
Asked about the biggest threats in cases like this, Summit Lost Pet Rescue founder Brandon Ciullo said they are "vehicles, then wildlife and then environment," according to NJ.com.
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By the time Rocky was found, he weighed about 26 pounds, down from roughly 50, but he was otherwise in surprisingly good condition.
What are people saying?
Maa said learning Rocky had been found was an "amazing feeling," adding, "We were just so overjoyed … and just disbelief that he could survive for that long, just extremely proud of him for being able to do that and be so resourceful out there," NJ.com reported.
Ciullo was equally emotional about the outcome.
"I'm not leaving this g**damn mountain until this dog is in the back of my truck," he said during the rescue effort.
"He's the only dog I've ever cried over," Ciullo said after Rocky and Maa were reunited. "These reunions are why we do what we do."
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