Few things scare pet owners more than a furry buddy running away and being lost. Unfortunately, Ricardo Rodriguez and his dog, Russ, experienced the worst-case situation. They went camping near Lake Tahoe in the summer of 2021. The vacation was going swimmingly until the puppy grew terrified of his surroundings and bolted into the woods. Russ never returned to their campsite, and Rodriguez was unable to locate him.
In the weeks and months following Russ’ disappearance, the dreadful situation grew much worse. The area around Lake Tahoe has been hit by natural disasters as well as severe weather. The Caldor Fire raged throughout Northern California in August, forcing many residents to flee their homes. The area (together with other regions of the West Coast) was hit by a major snowfall at the end of 2021. That meant nearly two feet of snow for the Lake Tahoe region.
Rodriguez was certain that he’d never see Russ again as the months passed and the weather became more harsh. But a miracle was on the way: Wendy Jones, founder of Tahoe PAWs and TLC 4 Furry Friends, learned of a puppy in need of rescue. Leona Allen and Elsa Gaule, two volunteers, were dispatched to search for Russ.
Allen and Gaule observed a dog in the distance, under a tree, as they trekked through the knee-high snow. “I believed it was him,” Allen continued, “but he wasn’t moving.” However, Russ began to show indications of life when he raised his head and opened his eyes. When she realized he was still alive, she felt “total delight.” Allen explained, “I think both of us started up the hill believing this was going to be a recovery, not a rescue.” “He’d been up there for the majority of the day, and it had been very cold and snowing the entire time.”
Russ was transported down the mountain to safety by the two ladies, who wrapped him in blankets and sledd him downhill. The task took many hours to complete. He was taken to the vet right after after arriving, where he was checked and deemed healthy despite his ordeal.
Then it was time to contact Russ’s human. Fortunately, the dog had a microchip, so that part was simple. Rodriguez was pleased when animal service agents phoned him to inform him that Russ had been located. “I mistook it for a work call and answered it with something along the lines of, ‘How may I assist you?'” “They said, ‘We discovered your dog in the middle of the snow,'” he remembered. “I’m like, ‘In the snow?'” she says. What? Where?’”
Until he was reunited with his fantastic furry companion, Rodriguez couldn’t believe Russ had been discovered. “Right now, this person is something else entirely. He’s seen it all before.”
Ricardo Rodriguez was scared he would never see his dog Russ again after he went away during a camping vacation. Russ was fortunately recovered four months later on an icy mountain.
Russ was well and reunited with his human at the end of 2021, despite surviving a blaze and hard snowstorm.
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h/t: [TODAY]