Colorado dog missing for 10 days found trapped in snow just meters from home

blue river, colorado – A beloved family dog ​​who had been missing for 10 days was recently found safe and sound, surrounded by snowdrifts and fallen trees, just a short distance from their home in Colorado.

On the morning of February 22nd, Pepper, a 6-year-old Bernese/black mix, went missing from her home in Blue River. Hours later, her family immediately contacted Summit Lost Pet Rescue, and volunteers quickly sprang into action to find her.

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“We sent them our standard search protocol: set up a scent station on the front porch (owner's dirty clothes and the dog's bed), set up a camera, and posted on social media to spread awareness. Please post neon signs in your neighborhood and continue your ground search,” Melissa Davis, the rescue group's executive director, said in a Facebook post this week.

Neighbors were also given fliers asking them to check garages, decks, tree wells and other areas where Pepper might be stuck.

“The snow in Blue River is very deep, creating very high snowbanks,” Davis said. “With zero sightings of her, we thought she was either stuck somewhere nearby or was picked up and left Blue River.”

Family members and volunteers expanded their search to nearby trails. Davis said she spent a lot of time snowshoeing and searching areas where Pepper might be stuck because there was a high chance she was stuck in the snow. Ta.

“We noticed a number of dog tracks circling near her home, but there were no human tracks nearby, so we thought it could be Pepper and used these tracks as clues. We tracked it down,” Davids added. “She wasn't on our cameras, though, so we didn't know for sure.”

After their 10th day of searching, Summit Lost Pet Rescue volunteers and their dogs returned to the creek to continue searching for Pepper.

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“We often bring our dogs with us on searches and use them as 'magnetic dogs,'” Davis said. “When pets go missing, they are often afraid of humans, but are more trusting of other dogs.”

During this particular search, Pepper was found trapped in a narrow section of the stream surrounded by snowdrifts and fallen trees.

“There was a black dog at the base of a muddy black tree, so it was very difficult for Kevin (the volunteer) to see her, but he could see his dog's fins,” Davis said. “Eventually, Kevin spotted her tag flashing on her collar. He immediately contacted her owner, who along with his son came to the rescue. ”

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Pepper's owners rescued her by using calming techniques and walking through a deep stream with snowshoes and poles. It took three people to safely retrieve her girlfriend.

“She ended up stranded 714 feet from her home,” Davis said.