A dog returns to its owner after spending 5 weeks lost in a mountain in the US.

A dog has returned to its owner after surviving only five weeks in the frigid Rocky Mountains of Colorado (USA). The story of Riley, a nine-year-old sheltie, has ended with a happy ending despite the fact that his master had given up hope.

Mike Krugmann lives on 36 acres of fenced land in breckenridgehence he did not care when he let Riley out on April 8, one of the six dogs in the house, at the end of the night, as he usually does. Riley usually walks to the end of the blacktop and then back. But he did not return that cold night as reported by the media Summit Daily.

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Riley was actually his wife’s dog, Krugman explained, and he slept on her pillow every night. When his wife, Pam, died in January, Riley felt her absence. as much as anyone, he said.

“It was a shock to the dog that Pam was no longer here.”Krugman said. “She was here one day, and then she’s gone. I think she’s still adjusting, waiting for her to come in, but that’s not going to happen.”

Once he realized that Riley had run awayKrugman searched the property from the inside out, day and night.

Riley, 9, returned to his owner after spending 5 weeks lost on a Colorado mountain. (Photo: Zachary Hackett)

After a few days of searching, Krugman called Summit Lost Pet Rescue, a group of local volunteers dedicated to finding lost pets. The group, which has performed hundreds of rescues and has a success rate close to 90%, jumped into action. Soon, the volunteers were doing a search all over his snow-covered property and posting fliers for the dog missing in faraway places.

“Pam was taking him for a walk outside the fence. She was leading him down the road.”Krugman said. “Maybe he thought she was out there somewhere.”

As the weeks passed without sightings, Krugman began to assume the worst.. Between the relentless winter weather and predators, including pumas that had recently been sighted near the Peak 7He thought there was no way Riley could have survived that long.

Last May 14, Zach Hackett, new to Breckenridge, was exploring the trails on Peak 4 behind his new apartment when he heard a sound. If it weren’t for that little squeak, Hackett would probably never have seen Riley.who somehow survived five weeks in Colorado’s harsh weather conditions.

“He had no energy when I found him. I knew I was in trouble. He knew he needed to be rescued.”Hackett said. “So that little squeak was the only burst of energy she had that night. It was like, ‘Hey, save me.’”

On steep, wood-laden terrain above 12,000 feet and having crossed the Blue River to reach the trailhead, Hackett knew that it would not be an easy task to bring the dog home, but he also felt that he had no choice.

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“It was in bad shape, so I knew right away that he needed to be rescued. I didn’t have to question that.”Hackett said. “I’m the kind of person who really cares about everyone, no matter who you are, every living thing.”

So, wrapped Riley in a windbreakernot so much to warm him as to give him a sense of comfort, as he made the two-hour trek down the mountain, where the snow in some places was still several feet deep.

“Someone told me that someone else might have left it”said. “That would never have crossed my mind. For me, it’s not, ‘Do I save it?’ It’s, ‘How do I do it?’”

When Riley was finally reunited with his owner, Mike Krugman, several days later, Krugman had only one word that he believed could adequately describe how the dog had lived alone for so long in the cold: “a miracle”.

Source: Elcomercio