It’s a miracle for a dog that’s been missing for months in California. The lucky dog was rescued from the wilderness by some cross-country skiers and snowboarders who came across the puppy, stuck in the snow.
A 3-year-old mixed-race Pitbull named Russ has been missing for several months.
Russ first disappeared back in August 2021, after the Caldor Fire ravaged California’s Lake Tahoe region. While escaping the fire, Russ and its owner became distant.
The missing dog was nowhere to be found…until December rolled around and it was discovered in a ball in 5 feet of snow in freezing temperatures.
He was found by the skiers, but when they approached him, he growled at them. Not wanting to upset the dog or worsen the situation, the skiers took pictures of it and contacted a local rescue group called Tahoe PAWS. The director of the rescue team, Wendy Jones, was alerted and knew the timing of the situation was critical.
When she explained to washington articles, “We know the time is [of] essentially because the dog had been out in the snow all day. And we know how cold it is. So it was quite intense, quite emotional, a lot of adrenaline. ”
Kyle Shumaker, an El Dorado County Animal Services Officer, was called to the stranded dog but was unable to reach the site because of heavy snow and rough terrain. He didn’t have the proper equipment to do the hike, so Wendy ended up calling in volunteers from TLC 4 Furry Friends & Tahoe PAWS.
Leona Allen and Elsa Gaule appear, “fitted with sleds, dog rescue equipment and a sled from Officer Shumaker,” ready to go on a journey to rescue trapped dog Russ. Fortunately, they were able to locate Russ in the dark.
Speaking of dramatic rescues, Tahoe PAWS shared on Facebook, “The dog was tracked up the mountain, and ended up lying under a tree not moving. The volunteers were elated when he opened his eyes and raised his head.”
One of the rescuers, Leona Allen, shared her joy with KOVR, said, “I was following the tracks and all of a sudden I saw this dark form under the tree and thought this was not good, he didn’t move and thought it would be really nervous and really upset. And then he opened his eyes, and I’m pretty sure I yelled. I’m pretty sure Elsa heard me coming down the mountain. ”
Although they were able to determine Russ was still alive, it was not easy to bring him down the mountain. They had to put him on the sled and then one of the volunteers had to lie on top of him to keep the dog calm and warm. However, as they recalled in the Facebook post, because of the arduous journey the rescued person had placed in the dark, “the trek down the mountain was slow and systematic.”
At the base, Officer Shumaker waited to take Russ to the vet shortly after the two volunteers returned with the puppy. At the vet’s office, they discover that Russ has a microchip, so they can trace his owners, who are overjoyed at the news.
Tahoe PAWS wrote on Facebook, “When contacted, the owner was surprised to learn that his dog was still alive! Russ (the dog) got scared and ran away from his owner’s car while he was in Tahoe applying for a job in August! The owner reported to Animal Services and searched for Russ, but was later evacuated along with the rest of the south coast due to the fire. It is assumed that Russ has gone missing. “
It’s been a Merry Christmas for the previously missing puppy when he is reunited with his family just in time for Christmas.
We are so happy that Russ is reunited with his family!
