For pet owners, there are only a few things scarier than having their furry best friend running away and getting lost somewhere.
Sadly, this worst-case scenario occurred to Ricardo Rodriguez with his sweet dog Russ. during the summer of 2021, while they were out camping near Lake Tahoe. It all went well until Russ got scared of the surroundings and ran away into the wilderness.
Russ never came back to the camp and Rodriguez searched for him, but he was nowhere to be found. The circumstances worsened in the upcoming weeks and months. The area around the lake experienced natural disasters and intense weather.
Russ Was Gone for Four Months
In August, the Caldor Fire spread through the north of California and many people had to evacuate from their homes. Plus, at the end of 2021, the area experienced snowstorm with two feet of snow.
With the time passing by and the weather getting extreme, Rodriguez started to lose his hope that he’ll see Russ ever again. However, Wendy Jones, an operator of the organizations Tahoe PAWs and TLC 4 Furr Friends, heard that a dog needed to be rescued.
Two volunteers went to the location to look for Russ, Leona Allen and Elsa Gaule. They searched through the snow and after some time, they spotted a dog in the distance, lying under a tree. It was Russ!
The dog wasn’t moving. When they approached him, they realized he was alive. He lifted his head and opened up his eyes. They were joyful that he’s alive. Poor Russ was there most of the day and it was cold and snowing.
They quickly moved him off the mountain. They wrapped him in blankets and rode downhill on a sled. This mission took hours, but Russ was save and taken to the vet right away. The vet examined him thoroughly and he was declared healthy, despite all that he had been through.
Russ Finally Reunites with His Owner
The volunteers informed Rodriguez that Russ was rescued and that he’s doing well. The animal services also contacted him because Russ had a microchip.
Rodriguez was very happy. He thought it was work and answered. This is when he got the news and he was shocked, wondering where and how did they rescue him and how he remained alive after all this time.
Rodriguez couldn’t believe they found Russ until they actually reunited. He says Russ is something else-a dog who’s been through it all!
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