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Featured Rescues
*this is a small fraction of the rescues that we've completed. We do our best to highlight our missions but can't get them all listed here.
Joy- lost 14 days
WELCOME HOME JOY- Pretty wild story!!! Another cat hitched a ride in a car and ended up about 3.5 miles away!!!
Missing from Aug 5-18th- 14 days
Joy went missing from Prospector Campground while her family was visiting and camping from out of state. They were walking her in her harness and leash by the water when she got spooked and she slipped her harness. The owners looked frantically for her for a couple days before reaching out to us. Once they did, signs were hung and a FB post was shared to help spread local awareness, and the search was on. There were a couple possible sightings by some fellow campers but the owners did not see her.
On August 11th, a neighbor of our volunteer noticed a black and white cat under his car in Summit Cove. Zac went out to look for the cat but didn't see it and assumed it was a neighbor cat. A few nights later, our volunteer Shelly actually saw Joy on her security camera. We compared markings and confirmed that it was in fact Joy. We assume that Joy hitched a ride with Zac on 11th because he was at the campground that day searching. We will never know how she made it down to Summit Cove from the campground, but this is the most logical possibility. Especially since cats like to hide up inside car engines or bumpers when they are scared. A trap, scent/food station and camera was set up!
Over the next couple days, Joy wasn’t seen again and the owners had to drive back home to Texas. Finally on the 17th Joy was seen on camera and in person walking back and forth from Shelly’s to Zac’s houses, which is a few blocks away from each other, although she ran from all of us each time she was seen. We find it absolutely crazy and hysterical that Joy knew who was looking for her and made herself seen to both volunteers. The owners were already in Texas and decided to drive back yet again on the 18th. They pulled into the Cove around 7:30pm and Shelly saw Joy cross the street again heading towards Zac’s house 3 minutes later. They immediately went to Zac’s and started doing calming techniques and they were finally able to grab and secure her!
She was secured in the truck while we all celebrated and talked about how crazy this mission was. During that time, Joy decided it would be funny to lock the truck while it was running!!!! With the owners locked out now, we were getting ready to call the police, right as Joy rolled the window down to let them in!!!!
She got a clean bill of health from the vet and is truly happy to be home!!
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Blaze- lost 1 day
WELCOME HOME BLAZE!! Blaze is the sweetest 5 month old puppy who escaped from his owners while playing on the beach in Dillon. He still had his leash on and ran up over the Dam Rd and down into the bike path area. Our team and owners searched into the night with no luck. The next morning a good samaritan saw our neon signs AND saw Blaze chilling in the rock scree below the Dam Rd. The owners and our team went right away and did calming techniques so he wouldn't run. We were able to close in on him and secure him! Yay for neon signs, NOT CHASING, and calming techniques for the win!! Go team go!!!
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Finley -lost for 2.5 weeks
WELCOME HOME FINLEY
Finley is a black and white, long hair indoor only cat who has never been outside before. He went missing from his home near Boreas Pass Rd in Breckenridge and was nowhere to be found. Our volunteers helped the owner with our standard search protocols, dug everywhere in their and neighbors yards, hung neon signs and FB posts to try to get public awareness, hung up a camera at the owners house as they left a door or two cracked open to give him access to come back in. ( this is the best tip for anyone who loses a cat, is to leave a door cracked open).
There were a few false sightings of a different cat, but it was not Finley. Just when the owner was starting to give up hope, we got a call late last night on the July 16th. Two amazing good Samaritans found Finley at Sapphire point!!!!!!! They stopped to enjoy the sunset and Finley meowed and came directly up to them as if he was asking for help. They called Dispatch first and then they called us. They were instructed to drop the cat off at the 24 hour safety dropbox at the shelter (this is a great resource if somebody finds a dog or cat after hours and can’t hang onto it) until we were able to get there to get Finley and return him to the owners.
We would love if Finley could talk and tell us how he got alllll the way to Sapphire Point. Our thoughts are that he most likely hid inside a car when he initially went missing, as many cats do. Then the car probably took off and stopped somewhere near Sapphire Point and that’s when Finley most likely hopped out of the car and got displaced. This happens more often than people think, so always check cars if your cat goes missing!! They like to hide inside car engines, tire wells and bumpers.
We are sooooo grateful the two Good Samaritans TOOK ACTION and secured Finley and called us immediately!! We thank them for not just walking away and later telling us they saw a cat! They knew he needed help and stepped into action to be Finley’s heroes!!
These reunion pics and videos are so heartfelt!!
For more lost cat search tips, please see the picture attached.
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Mae- lost 1/2 day
Mae ran off when she got spooked on her morning walk and her leash was still attached. She ran up the trail system so we asked the owner to leave a scent station at the trailhead to encourage Mae to come back down off the trail. The owners and our volunteer went to search. Mae was hiding in the woods and her sibling dog Stan sensed her. The family was there w/Stan and our SLPR volunteer, so they just stayed on the trail talking and singing to coax her out. Our volunteer had a bag of treats that crinkled. It was the sisters voice that coaxed her out as she sang real happy and playful singy songs!!
Calming Techniques WORK!!! This is why we always tell people DO NOT CHASE OR YELL!!! Our lost pet alumni Maple helped as well with her owner! (She’s the tan/white furry in the pic)
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Banjo -lost for 1 day
WELCOME HOME BANJO!! LOST FOR 24 HOURS! Banjo is a very sweet and skittish black lab mix who went missing from a family friend near the bike path in Frisco and ran up into the trail system. They hiked and searched for him but couldn’t find him, so they called us and asked for help and our volunteers got to work. We asked them to get a scent station out (owners dirty clothes/dog bed/dirty towels) at the trailhead immediately. Many dogs will come off the trail back to the trailhead looking for the owners. Volunteers went out to search with the friends and family in the trails as well, hung neon signs and made FB posts to spread awareness.
Finally, they got a sighting way up in the trail system where it intersects with multiple other trails. We had to act quickly to get him to stay in the area so he wouldn’t go deeper in the trail system. We advised them to move the scent station to where he was seen, take yummy food and do calming techniques to see if they could draw him out of hiding. It was a very busy day up there so he stayed in hiding. They set up a cell camera on the scent station over night to see if he would come back. Around 6am the next morning, he showed up on cam and sniffed his bed. We were thrilled he stayed close. The friends of the owner went up right away and sat at the scent station and did calming techniques again. Banjo’s mom was in route back home and immediately went up to this spot. Within minutes he heard and smelled mom and ran out towards her!
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DOG FOUND ON ORO GRANDE TRAIL DILLON
This dog was just seen at the the trailhead with no human, and took off up the trail, so the hiker called us to report. At this time, we did not have a lost report. We asked her to also call Dispatch so Animal Control would know too- 970-668-8600.
PSA- ALWAYS call us when you see a roaming pet alone. We are so grateful the hiker who saw her called us. We then made the Found Post on Facebook and the owner saw it and called us asap saying her dog is lost!! We rallied with the owner, hiker, Dillon Colorado Police Department, Summit County Animal Control and Shelter and our Summit Lost Pet Rescue volunteers, and the owner got her dog in the car!!
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Pepper- Lost 10 Days
Pepper is a 6-year-old Bernese/black lab mix who went missing from her home. The family called us a few hours later and our volunteers got to work with them. We sent them our standard search protocols- put out a scent station on their front porch (owner's dirty clothes and dog bed), set up cameras, made social media posts to spread awareness, hung neon signs in the neighborhood, and boots on the ground search. Flyers were also made and handed out to the neighbors for them to check their garages, decks, tree wells, any place that she could be stuck. The snow is VERY deep down in Blue River with very high snowbanks. Since there were zero sightings of her, we assumed that she was either stuck someplace nearby or got picked up and left Blue River. We did expand the search down nearby trails however it was more probable that she was stuck in the snow, so the family and our volunteers spent a lot of time snowshoeing and searching in places she could be stuck.
We noticed many dog tracks that were circling the neighborhood near her house with no human prints nearby so it could've been Pepper, and we kept track of these prints as clues. Although she never showed up on our cameras, so we didn't know for sure. Finally, on DAY 10, our volunteer Kevin and his dog Finn, who spent many days and hours searching, went down by the creek again to search. There was a lot of deep snow and fallen trees down there and not easy to get to, but Kevin’s dog Finn was very interested in this location. After further investigation, they saw that PEPPER WAS STUCK in a small area of the creek surrounded by steep snowbanks and taking shelter under a fallen tree. A black dog under muddy black tree roots made it very hard for Kevin to see her, but his dog Finn did. Eventually, Kevin saw her tag shining on her collar. He immediately contacted the owner who arrived with his son to help. They did calming techniques and snowshoed/post-holed in the deep creek, and it took 3 of them to get her out!!!! PEPPER WAS SAFE!! Ultimately, she was stuck 714 feet from her house!!
Thank you to our wonderful volunteers and Pepper's family who helped on this mission and spent many days on this search. It took a lot of creative & strategic thinking and techniques, patience and hard work to hone in on her whereabouts. Team Pepper for the win!!! Pepper was checked by the vet and she is doing well!!
**We often take our dogs on searches with us and use them as “magnet dogs”. When pets go missing, they often are afraid of humans, but have a better trust with other dogs.
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Bandit- lost 2 days
Bandit, a small terrier mix, and his owners were involved in a rollover car accident while heading eastbound on I70 just before Vail Pass, when they hit some black ice and rolled their vehicle. The owners were taken to the hospital and Bandit was nowhere to be found! The family and first responders searched all over that night with no luck!! Our Summit Lost Pet Rescue team and our lost pet rescue partners in Vail/Eagle were notified the following morning on Thanksgiving and we both posted all over our Facebook pages to alert both Summit and Vail/Eagle communities. Then we ran out right away to start the search protocols with the family, while the owners were recovering in the hospital. (the turkey can wait!!!)
We hung neon signs along I70 from Vail Pass all the way down past the accident site to spread awareness to the Holiday travelers. We then set up two cameras and scent station (owner’s dirty clothes) near the accident site in a safe space away from I70, to give Bandit some familiar smells to find and stay in the area.
The search was on all day Thursday and Friday. No sightings came in at all, but we found some small dog tracks that we followed in between the accident site and our cameras and scent station. THEN before night fall and snowstorm yesterday…… the family got a call…. Bandit was seen running on I70 right at the site of the accident, and then a few minutes later got the BEST call saying that he was seen a couple miles west and caught by two good Samaritans on their way home to Aspen. The family left to go meet him and we were all so relieved that he was safe and ok. He seems to be ok with just a few scratches on his belly!!!
Thank you to Bandit’s family for working around the clock with our Summit Lost Pet Rescue volunteers and our lost pet rescue partners in Vail/Eagle, the Vail community who went out to search on their own, Eagle County Animal Control and Vail Police Department, Mountain Rescue Recovery towing who stopped to check to make sure we were ok when they saw us on I70, then they joined the search! It was an amazing Thanksgiving gift to have Bandit return to his family. They are all resting and recovering together!! So much to be thankful for!
**Rescue note- If a pet is involved in a car accident, please get the owner's dirty clothes out near the accident site asap (a safe distance away from the road of course). The scents will help keep the pet nearby. Its also SO important to never ever chase any lost pet, which is why we always say DO NOT CHASE!!!
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Mazie- lost 8 days
Mazie is an indoor only cat who escaped from his balcony. He was staying super close to home (as most indoor only cats do), but the owner could not get him to come to her. She reached out to us for help, so we set up a camera and scent station. He was consistently coming to the same spot, so we set an armed live trap. Within a few hours, he went inside the trap to get the yummy food and he was SAFE!!!
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Dorito- lost 25 Days!
WELCOME HOME DORITO! He is an indoor only cat who busted through a screen and was lost for 25 long days! We suggested that the owner leave a door cracked so that Dorito has a way back in. They also set out a scent station and a camera. We saw Dorito a few times on camera and during searches, so a trap was set. Finally after 25 days, after a lot of patience, he went into the armed trap and was safe!!
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Riley- lost 5 weeks & 1 day
WELCOME HOME RILEY!
Miracles DO happen!!!
Riley went missing from his home on April 8th and literally just vanished. The owner reached out to us and we sent our search protocols -scent stations, signs, physical searches, social media posts, etc. The community searched and rallied with our amazing SLPR team and Animal Control but there were absolutely no sightings, no clues, nothing. We then expanded the awareness to outside of Summit county just in case he got picked up. Nothing!!
THEN, after 5 weeks and 1 day, the owner and our Summit Lost Pet Rescue, Inc. team got THE most amazing call from Summit County Animal Control and Shelter… RILEY WAS FOUND!! A hiker (AKA Riley's HERO!) found him up on Peak 4 at 12,000 ft. The hiker just happened to randomly be in the area and heard one loud bark. He then saw Riley hunkered down under a tree. Talk about being in the right place at the right time!! He wrapped him up and carried him allllll the way down to town and brought him to the shelter the next morning to be reunited with his Daddy. Such a beautiful moment!
Riley lost a lot of weight and had a low body temp but was treated at the vet right away. He is recovering so well now and getting his strength and feistiness back again with his fur-siblings. We are soooo grateful for this happy reunion. Thank you so much to our amazing SLPR team of dedicated volunteers, shelter & animal control, the hero hiker, and the owner for all the hard work and perseverance!
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Hobbes- lost 7 days
WELCOME HOME HOBBES-
Hobbes is a sweet indoor only cat who snuck out the door and ran away. He's not used to being outside so the owners contacted us right away. We sent them our cat search protocols and the search was on. We always suggest that they do a VERY thorough search immediately in their yard and next door neighbors yards. Some of these tips include- Check car engines (we've pulled a few out of engines), trailers, under decks, sheds, garages, look up in trees, inside drain pipes, and let all neighbors know asap so they can check inside Airbnb rentals. (many cats get stuck inside rentals). We also asked them to ask their neighbors to check Ring cameras and contact HOA. Flyers and signs were hung and posts were shared all over FB.
There were no sightings for 6 days, but they kept searching diligently every single day! Then on Day 7 (usually when hunger starts to take over), the owner heard a faint meow out the back door. He went outside and heard more meows under the deck. (see picture to see the hole in the deck) We searched this deck more than once and didn't see or hear him so we think he found his way back to the deck from elsewhere. We asked the owner to block the hole so the cat couldn't get out until we got there and told him to sit there calmly calling Hobbes name to see if he would inch his way out safely. And Hobbes did just that!! He nuzzled up to daddy's hand and he was able to securely grab him and pull him out!! YAYYYY success!!! Thank you to the owners who worked SO hard to get their baby back and thanks to Team SLPR for helping and being so awesome!!
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Moe- lost 1 day
WELCOME HOME MOE!!!
Moe is an INDOOR ONLY cat who escaped his house in Summit Cove when a toddler left the door cracked open. He spends all his time inside and isn’t used to being outside at all. The owners reached out to us the next day and we gave them all of our cat search protocols for them to get started on right away and our team went over to search. Instantly as we pulled up by the house, one of our volunteers saw the cat laying on a neighbor’s deck across the street. We stood back and let the owner try calming techniques to get the cat to come. She approached slowly, saying his name playfully while shaking treats, but he still ran and hid under the long deck. It was too deep and narrow for us to fully climb under and get him to safety, but we army-crawled in mud and rocks as far as we could to try to flush him out using a pole to gently guide him out. He was having none of it and hiding in the deepest corner not moving, so we got very creative :) We barricaded him in and blocked every single hole he could run out of, using cornhole boards, folding tables, rocks, wood, towels, coats and more. (yes we felt like Macgyver) We then set a baited trap for his only way “out”. Within the hour, he was successfully trapped and safely back home.
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Marsha - lost 2 days
WELCOME HOME MARSHA!!! Marsha is from Denver and escaped from a friend’s home up here in Silverthorne, right off of I70. She was initially seen running deeper into Wildernest near Salt Lick trail system, but then no sightings happened for almost 48 hours. Our team stepped into action right away to help the owner. We gave him our search protocols, neon signs were hung, scent stations were immediately put out and the search was on! No further sightings came in until Day 2, she was seen by Lowes and then crossing the busy I70. Our team, the owner, Animal Control and Silverthorne PD all searched for her asap to try to prevent her from crossing back on the highway. The owner and our volunteers spotted her up on the hill between I70 and Dillon Dam Rd and the owner instantly went to the river to coax her down gently. Our team stayed back to give Marsha space and let the owner calmly get her down. She recognized his voice and started wagging her tail! She zig-zagged down the mountain, crossed the river and jumped into her owner’s arms and let out many loud yelps of joy and relief! We ran down, leashed her and all took a huge sigh of relief with tears of joy!
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Lilly -Lost 3 days!
Lilly wandered away from the pet sitter on Peak 7 in Breckenridge. We immediately set out a comfort station and our team hung neons and searched the wooded area near their house. The owner then flew back from Mexico to help. We have had cases (very rare) in the past where the dog would try to find its way home. The owner lived on Baldy which we all know is not just down the block. Just to be be cautious we hung neons and flyer on Baldy near the owners house and set up a comfort station, just incase she made it back there.
3 days went by with out a single sighting and we felt she may have left the area and may be heading towards home. The night of April19th the owner said his neighbor saw Lilly in the parking lot of their home. The owner went out and saw Lilly sniffing his car (a huge scent station!!) and when approached she ran off. This is where using calming techniques are used. He went inside to get some food. He saw her again but she was standoffish and barking at him. He remembered what we told him and he sat down with his back towards her. Not making eye contact, throwing her food and singing her name softly. After a few minutes she came closer and closer until she was able to smell him. Gotcha!!!
Thanks to our team, AC officers out searching, our community and of course the pet sitter (there every second of the day) and owner he got her back.
Maple- Lost 7 days!
WELCOME HOME MAPLE!!
Maple went missing from Copper Mountain Village on Wednesday January 11th. Our SLPR team along with Summit County Animal Control and Shelter and the Copper Mountain community went into action right away! Our volunteers worked with the owners to hang neon signs, spread community awareness with a Facebook campaign, we had the owners put out a scent station, set up a camera and had boots on the ground searching for Maple.
There was a possible sighting of her near Officers Gulch on I70 as well as in Farmers Corner in Frisco. These areas were searched and we expanded our outreach here too but didn’t see her.
Then on day 5 during a snow storm late at night, we received a call of Maple on the on ramp at the 2nd Frisco exit. The good Samaritan knew NOT to chase her and was trying to calmly capture her off the highway but she took off. We went out to search immediately with no luck and set up a camera and scent station nearby.
The next day Animal Control got a confirmed sighting of her on I70 at the 1st Frisco exit near the Dam Road and we all spring into action to keep her off the highway. It was a huge and collaborative effort from Animal Control, Summit County Sheriffs, our SLPR volunteers, Frisco PD and the owners to try to keep her from running back on I70. We had everybody stay away from the area except for the owner, but Maple still got spooked and ran across the highway again up into the woods and into the trail system. We were able to track her prints in the snow for quite some time but then we lost her.
We had a feeling she would circle back to places she has been before, as many lost dogs do. Then on Tuesday afternoon, she was spotted off the trail again heading towards I70 and ran across the highway again back to the Dam Road to the same spot as the day before. Luckily her owner was minutes away, so again we stood everybody down and sent the owner only to Maple's location, so that the area was calm and quiet. And this time the calming techniques worked like a charm and Maple went to her mama for a VERY HAPPY REUNION!!
We were all SO relieved that she was safe. This mission wouldn't have been as successful without the help and hard work of the owners, our Summit Lost Pet Rescue volunteers, Summit County Animal Control & Shelter, Frisco PD, Summit County Sheriffs, and the good Samaritans of Summit County. Our communication with each other and team work helped find and save sweet Maple off I70!! Thank you to everybody who was involved.
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Capone - Lost 2 days!
WELCOME HOME CAPONE! Capone is a sweet senior boy who went missing from his home. His owner called us right away to help. Our volunteers helped hang neons and flyers right away and we asked the owner to put out his dirty clothes and Capone's dog bed. The search was on since he was so close to I70. No sightings came in at all so we focused our search down in the willow trees on the frozen lake. On the 2nd morning, Animal Control got a call of a distressed dog bark and whimpering. The owner and our volunteers rushed out the door towards the willows. The owner called out Capone's name once and he heard a loud bark as a reply saying "help me dad!" He dug through very deep snow and found Capone with a leash frozen to the willows with about 6 inches to spare. We are SO grateful for the hard work of the owner, our incredible volunteers and the help of Animal Control, to help find this sweet boy.
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Chase - Lost 438 days
HUGE HUGE HUGE NEWS!!! Chase was FOUND after 438 days! PLEASE MICROCHIP YOUR PETS!!!!
WELCOME HOME CHASE!!! Chase was Lost in Keystone last year with his buddy Angel (who is STILL MISSING!!!! She's the gray pit in picture here, please keep new eyes out!) There were sightings of both dogs initially here in Keystone when they got lost but then the sightings all of a sudden stopped coming in and the dogs disappeared.
Well, we got the most AMAZING news recently from a friend of Chase's owner....Chase was FOUND down in Littleton!! He was scanned for a microchip and his owner got the CALL he’s been waiting over 438 days for- CHASE WAS FOUND!! He looks like he was well taken care of all this time.
We don’t know his story or where he came from, (if he could only talk!!!), but we are super happy he is back with his family!! If it wasn’t for his microchip, Chase would never have been reunited with his rightful owner.
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Annie - Lost 2 days
Annie was lost during a rollover car accident. Her owner reached out to us and we got started on the search right away. We set up a scent station and camera asap and hung our neon signs and FB post to spread the word right away.
A Good Samaritan was walking her dog and saw Annie on the trail this morning and was able to safely secure her until the owner came!!! We are SO relieved!!!
Thank you to our volunteers TEAM ANNIE for jumping on this right away and thanks for all the help and support from our amazing Summit County Animal Control and Shelter for jumping in and searching, helping with flyers, scent stations etc!!!
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Zuma - Lost 41 days
WELCOME HOME ZUMA!! TRAPPED after missing for 27 days!!
Zuma is a super skittish shiba inu who escaped from the house the night of Sept 26th wearing her pink harness. She gave us a good run!! Her owners worked SO hard every single day with our team and it all paid off!! Our team set up our standard protocols, FB campaign, neons, scent station and creating community awareness. We had zero sightings or info to go off until Day 13 and that was a game changer for our team. We had a confirmed sighting up on the Tenderfoot Trail. Our team and the owners searched all around Dillon Valley, Straight Creek trail and Tenderfoot trail and put a camera and scent station up there and she came that night, so we set an unarmed trap the next day. She was traveling all through the trail system, seen here and there on our camera checking out the trap and we studied her behavior from the camera and quickly realized that she was not trap shy!!! We moved the camera and trap a few times after tracking her travel pattern and we had a gigantic bear visit our scent station and unarmed trap (not yet baited thank goodness), so we moved the trap to a different location to keep him away.
We think that Zuma was losing some strength going up in elevation deep in the trails, so we focused more in the valley. The last couple days we got more sightings and we had a very good feeling on where she was hunkering down and settling at night. We figured she was sleeping during the day in the warm sun and was seen in this new area 3 times. Our team moved the trap, camera and scent station where we thought her safe place was. As soon as the sun went down she showed up on camera confirming where she was sleeping. Early that next morning she was seen going into the trap. We baited and armed the trap at 5pm and at 8:30pm she showed up at the trap and was safely TRAPPED 2 mins later. Just in time before a big snow & windstorm!
We want to give huge THANKS and KUDOS to the amazing efforts of our SLPR team and owners for staying positive, putting in the work and long hikes, following calming techniques, staying flexible and making changes to the mission when new sightings were presented to us. The hard work paid off!!!!
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Billy - Lost 41 days
WELCOME HOME BILLY- TRAPPED on Day 41!!
Billy, an indoor only cat, went missing at the end of July and we didn't have any solid sightings for a few weeks. (Couple potential sightings but wasn’t seen again) Cat search protocols were given to do a thorough search in the immediate area and the owner put out a scent station (owner's dirty clothes) where he went missing. Flyers and neon signs were hung as well and this helped the entire neighborhood become aware and be on the lookout for Billy. The only animals that were seen were many foxes, a coyote, raccoons, other outdoor cats, a cute little bunny and tons of birds. Finally, on week 5, we got a very solid lead with a confirmed sighting that Billy was hanging out near a bird feeder. We set the camera up where he was seen and we finally got him on camera! We set a trap and within a couple days we trapped him successfully! We are all so relieved that Billy is back home safe with his mama! Thank you to our Amazing Volunteers (you know who you are!!!) who helped in this mission and to the Summit neighbors who kept their eyes out for Billy.
A very special thank you to Summit County Animal Control and Shelter for picking Billy and the trap up in the middle fo the night and taking him to the shelter for a safe space until the owner was able to pick him up the next morning!! We appreciate you very much!
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Rosie - lost 11 days
UPDATE 8/22- 2pm- ROSIE IS SAFE!!!!! We are Soooooo happy and relieved that Rosie girl has been found! The owner worked her tail off day and night and our Team Rosie worked SO hard and put in soooooo many tiring hours searching for her! The hard work paid off today!! Thank you to all of our Summit Lost Pet Rescue, Inc. Volunteers and Summit County neighbors who put in SO many hours with boots on the ground hiking and searching for her, hanging neon signs, sharing fb posts....GREAT WORK TEAM ROSIE!!! Thank you to the good samaritan and neighbor Keith who went above and beyond to help the owner today!! Together they were able to find Rosie today and bring her back home!!
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Luna - Lost 16 days
WELCOME HOME LUNA!!!
**SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING!!! Don't be afraid to call in sightings of lost/found pets or take action when you see a roaming pet!
Sweet Luna has been missing since 6/30. We coached the owner to put out a scent station (owner's dirty clothes, Luna's dog bed, and her sibling dog Zeus's smells all over) at her house right away. Our dedicated volunteer, Debbie, and the owner made and hung neon signs all over the town. They even took flyers and neons to the 4th of July parade to spread the word about Luna. We also did a massive social media campaign to spread awareness. No sightings of her at all!
THEN we had a credible sighting on Thursday 7/14 along WB I70 across from the lake and heading toward the Georgetown exit. Thank goodness for the tourists passing by on I70 on Thursday, then stopping at the lake, then seeing our flyers & neon signs and taking ACTION and called the owner!! Our amazing and dedicated SLPR volunteers met with Luna's family and searched all over with no sign of her. We picked the best place to set up a scent station and set up a cell camera to monitor the area. (Thank you to our amazing volunteer Amy for taking the camera down and setting it up! If it wasn't for you, we would've missed this opportunity!)
Last night around 11pm, we GOT her on CAMERA so Debbie immediatley drove the owner's sister, Izzy, and they took sibling dog Zeus. Izzy laid down doing CALMING TECHNIQUES (no eye contact, no movements, no yelling or chasing, literally just laying there!!!!) and Luna gradually made her way over to them. She’s super skinny but seems ok. Yayyyy!!
We are SO happy you are SAFE sweet Luna girl! You are smart, strong, resilient, and you stayed safe and away from that MOUNTAIN LION in town who has been making frequent visits.
Thank you Debbie, Amy, John for your nonstop hard work and to Luna's family for trusting our Summit Lost Pet Rescue, Inc. team and our search techniques!
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Amy - Lost 2 days
WELCOME HOME AMY CAT!! Amy is an indoor only cat who was spooked and ran out the front door. Summit Lost Pet Rescue was notified and started our search protocols, hung neon signs and put a cell cam at her door, however no sightings came in. Our dedicated volunteers, Curtis, Laurie, Amy & Kathy jumped in to help right away. Late that night the owner saw Amy in a storm drain but couldn’t reach her and our volunteer Laurie showed up to help. The owner tried using calming techniques to lure her out, but she wouldn’t budge. They didn’t have the trap yet, so they covered it with a blanket so she wasn’t able to escape overnight and so we could reassess in the morning. Early the next morning Curtis came and was so close to getting her with treats but she was just out of reach. We called Summit County Animal Control & Shelter to see if they could reach her with a reach pole, but we just couldn’t get to her. We left the area quiet and Brandon then saw her go into the next drain over which was about 50 yards deep. She was the farthest back she could possibly go and fortunately there wasn’t an exit at that other end. Melissa came to help and they assessed the situation to plan the next steps. Plan A- Brandon could crawl in and flush her out while Melissa armed the trap at the opening, or Plan B- set a trap and wait. Brandon & Melissa discussed every single possible breakdown of that mission and there were at least four or five different scenarios that could’ve gone wrong. After talking it through, we felt that we had every base covered, and could safely execute Plan A!
Brandon, being a member of Summit County Search and Rescue Group, felt confident enough that he could army crawl into the drain and either grab her or flush her out. In preparation of going into the pipe, he geared up with protection for his head, hands and face, while Melissa prepped the trap and gathered large rocks. When Brandon was half way in, Melissa armed the trap and placed the rocks so there was no way out except going in the trap. After about 20 mins, Brandon reached the back where Amy cat was and like we anticipated, she jumped right passed him and darted toward the opening. She went all the way to the trap, stopped and sniffed it and went back into the hole. By this time Brandon was able to turn around and start crawling back which scared her. She then ran straight into the trap, and BOOM, Mission complete and Amy is safe!!! This was a great example of lots of collaboration amongst teammates! Thank you, Summit County Animal Control, and Thank you TEAM AMY!! It was the best of the best team work all around!
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3 month old puppy - lost for few hours
This sweet puppy went missing about 1/4 mile back on the trail up in Leadville, CO. The owner's family reached out to us and we got our Team Leadville on the mission asap. We asked the owner to leave his dirty clothes at the trail head to try to draw her down off the trail. Our teammates went out to bring him some yummy food at the trail while he sat there calling her name calmly. A few hours later, dispatch gets a call saying that someone dropped a puppy off at the shelter and it was HER!!! Apparently she went to the nearest hut back on the trail and the good samaritan took her to the shelter. She was un-phased by this little adventure, but we are grateful the owner and family reached out to us and followed our search protocols so keep her from running deeper in the trail system!!
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Maple- lost 1 Day
Maple went missing in Leadville, CO when she got spooked. She's new to the area and doesn't know her surroundings. The owner reached out to us and we got our Team Leadville on the mission asap. The owner camped out where she went missing. We asked the owner to leave his dirty clothes, grill out and do a wagon wheel walk with the sibling dog to lay a strategic scent trail back to the camp. After one of the final scent trail walks, the owner came back and saw Maple near the car. She used the sibling dog as a "magnet dog" and lured her in, earned her trust and waited to grab her once she felt 100% confident she could get her. We feel that the scent trails led her back to the car safely!! Great work Leadville/Lake County Animal Shelter and Team Leadville for bringing Maple home to safety!! Thanks for jumping into action on this mission and for going out to help find Maple! The owner did a fabulous job on this rescue!!! Scent Stations and Calming Techniques for the win!!! WELCOME HOME MAPLE!!
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Blaze- lost for few hours
WELCOME HOME BLAZE!!
This was an unexpected & quick successful mission. Brandon saw this beautiful pit bull running down the street acting very skittish and knew immediately from of his movements that the dog was lost. He followed the dog down a service road where he lost him but found out an other dog chased him into the woods. He went back to his truck, notified Melissa to recruit team members, grabbed his snowshoes and pack and started to trail blaze through the woods for almost 2 hours. It was deep and we were afraid he’d get stuck in a tree well or stuck in branches or a hole. Brandon followed the tracks all the way to I-70. Cleared the roadway to make sure he wasn’t there then followed his tracks back. We followed the creek bed (which Brandon fell into soaking his feet lol) and lost his trail. He kept pushing on and being confident we’d find him. Low and behold… boom- there he was, tired, hurt and scared.
They were separated by a fence which made them both feel more comfortable. He was barking aggressively, but knowing dog behavior we knew it was only bc he was scared, not violent. We reached out to Summit County Animal Control and Shelter to get a reach pole on scene. Our volunteer, Tracee treaded though hip high snow to relieve Brandon so he could show AC where exactly we were. Tracee sang to him to keep him calm. Pam, Mike and Amy showed up to help support with what we needed. Meg from the shelter showed up and was able to get him with the reach pole within a few minutes. He was bleeding from his nail but otherwise ok and was transported to the shelter. We found a lost dog post for him on FB and connected the owner to the shelter for an awesome reunion!
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Cleo - lost 10 days
TRAPPED AND SAFE!
Cleo is a sweet 3 year old indoor only kitty who escaped from her mom’s car down the block from their house and jumped out the driver door. They reached out to us and our team put up neons and did a social media campaign to spread awareness to the neighbors immediately. We set cameras up along with a food station right away but all we got were foxes and birds. Our amazing team of volunteers searched on foot every single day until we found her. (Thank you Curtis, Amy, Suz Anne & Karen!) We searched high and low in every single possible hiding spot she could be within a few block radius. The HOA sent out an email asking owners to search garages and let renters know too. We had suspicions that she was hanging near the broken hot tub, but we searched under the deck boards and didn’t see her at all. We didn’t get ANY sightings at all and were getting nervous with the snow storm coming in.
We decided to change the location on the camera and BOOM, we got a pic of her that night in the parking lot near her home. We set a trap the next day with yummy food and her mom’s dirty clothes. Later that evening, she came out from the hot tub and we had her trapped within a couple hours after that!! Our volunteers Curtis and Suz were there within minutes and brought her inside to get her warm! It was such a precious reunion with her mom the next day. Our hearts couldn’t be happier for sweet Cleo! Yay for TEAM CLEO, thanks for ALL of your hard work and congrats on your trapping success!!
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Bullet- lost 3 days
SAFELY TRAPPED!!! Bullet is a male dog who was recently adopted and got loose after only 5 days. He jumped out of a window and took off around the neighborhood. He did what lost and skittish dogs normally do, RUN nonstop!! Our team was notified and jumped into action right away, hanging neons, the owner set out a scent station at home and we searched all over. They knew NOT to chase him and used Calming techniques which helped keep him in the area. Sightings came in very quickly and we tracked his travel pattern. We knew where he was settling down so we set a trap. At one point, he actually sat there about 15 feet from us and watched us set up the trap. He was too skittish to come so we knew the trap was the best option. After we set the trap, we caught him in less than two hours, and he’s safe and happy at home! Thank you to our wonderful volunteers who helped save Bullet!! He was trapped in a very windy snowstorm where a big mama moose and her two babies are seen daily. Our team got to him within minutes and home safe!!
WELCOME HOME BULLET!!
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Bindi - lost 4 hours
Bindi was lost from home while her mama was out of town and stuck on I70 due to the winter storm warning. She was really anxious and darted out of the door when the neighbor came over to check on her. They called us immediately and a team of us went out to search within minutes and got it up all over Facebook to spread the word. We got a sighting after a couple hours saying that Bindi was barking at a neighbors window many blocks away. We asked them to put out some yummy food and instructed our search team of volunteers and neighbors, to stay away from the street where she was seen. About 15 minutes later she came back to eat the yummy food, but when they opened up the door to try to coax her in, she bolted. I then asked them to leave a food trail leading into the house with the open door. She came back again to eat the food and poked her head in the front door. They slowly opened it more and she came wandering in. Once safely inside, the shut the door behind her. We call this a "House Trap". We are SO grateful they called us and for their help in this rescue. WELCOME HOME BINDI!!
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Stella- lost 3 days
Stella is a 5 year old doodle who got out after the door was accidentally left open. She ran from Dillon Valley, across I-70, near UPS neighborhood and up to the lower part of Wildernest. Our team moved into action quickly as we did not like her crossing over I70 and we immediately shared our calming techniques. We asked the community NOT TO CHASE her so that she could settle in one place and stop running on I70. We hung neons and started tracking all of the sightings that started to come in immediately. We had a good idea where she was settling so we set up a comfort/scent station with her dog bed and owners dirty clothes, along with a camera at a place she was seen sleeping. A day went by with no sightings and she did not appear on our camera, but we didn't give up hope. We believe she was hunkered down due to the snow storms. The next day sightings were coming in and we were relieved that she stayed in the area because she smelled her owners clothes at the scent station and knew she was supposed to be near there. At one point, the owner's son, saw her and Stella just looked at him and walked away. This is very common for dogs to not come to their owners when they are in fight or flight survival mode! Finally, the owner and son stayed in the area all evening until about 9:30pm and drove through the condo complex where she was been seen. Mom finally saw Stella standing in the street and got out calmly and softly called her name. Stella came right over to her momma, who worked tirelessly and around the clock, to bring home her baby girl. The owners hard work, scent articles, neon signs and calming techniques saved this sweet girl. The date of capture was December 25th- Christmas Day!! What an amazing Christmas present for Stella, her family and our team who all worked very hard to get this girl to safety!! She is recovering well! Way to go TEAM STELLA!!
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Mama Abby- lost 7 days
Abby aka “Mama” was a pregnant stray in New Mexico and our Volunteer, Erica Currey, who also fosters & rescues dogs, took Abby in right before she gave birth to 10 beautiful puppies. Someone showed interest in wanting to adopt her, so they did a visit to see if Abby was a good fit. On the 1st day Abby wiggled out of her harness and took off and was lost north of town in very rural farm land. We went into action rather quickly as Brandon touched base and we started the protocols. Coleen brought the puppies blanket out to the area last seen so we could put in on the property in front a camera. (Scent/Comfort station). Early that morning “Mama” came sniffing and it gave her a point of orientation. Over the next few days she showed up but with no interest in the food left in a trap or her puppies. We had no sightings for a few days and were worried after hearing a pack of coyotes. We believed she was smart and heard/smelt them and went into hiding. Erica came out that following Saturday and walked around singing her name. Hours went by and dark came. We went home and got a call that Mama was seen walking up the same path as Erica did. We re-baited the trap and Erica got the call at 11:13pm saying MAMA HAS BEEN TRAPPED after 7 days!! Welcome Home Mama. We never gave up on you. Love you Mama girl!
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Makoto - lost 3 months
WELCOME HOME MAKOTO!
This was an interesting rescue, as we didn't even know he was missing! We received multiple calls about a black/white cat in Silverthorne running across Hwy 9, and hanging out in the same area, looking very very skinny. Our volunteers of TEAM FIRCY and FIRC literally worked around the clock 24/7 for 7 days and nights. Thank you all for your nonstop dedication on this mission!! We conditioned him to come regularly and on Day 7 we had him TRAPPED!! Thank you Kathy Wilson for getting him within 10 minutes of being trapped and taking him home at 1:30am to keep him safe until we got him to the shelter the next morning. Kathy & Amy Kahle took this kitty to the shelter (because we never ever ever release them from the trap until they are in a safe, secure location), and saw that he had a collar with a tag (YAY!!) and a phone number! They called and the owner answered right away with disbelief that we FOUND his lost kitty, Makoto!! He told us that his cat jumped out the window 3 months prior and has been missing since. He is healthy and happy to be home with his husky brother!
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Buzzy- lost 14 days
Buzzy is finally SAFE at home!! Indoor only kitty, missing 14 days since 9/27 when he evacuated from the wildfire. We trapped him at 2:30am on 10/10!! Neon signs, the help of the home owners where Buzzy was hanging out, and around the clock volunteers checking the trap saved this little guy! (thanks Kathy Wilson Amy Kahle Vikatolia Marie Palepale Jason, Audrey & Derrick)
Great work Reese Hyde getting your first trap set up and Congrats Teresia Swift & Scott on your first field ops with us and you were the one who saw Buzzy in the trap. Thanks for taking him home, keeping him safe and taking him to Summit County Animal Control and Shelter Thanks to our amaizng partners at the shelter for giving him some loving, warmth and safety until his owners got back in town. WELCOME HOME BUZZY!!!!
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Goober- lost 4 days
GOOBER IS SAFE!!! Goober is brand new to Summit County, and he had a seizure, slipped his collar and went missing for 4 days. He ran alllllll over Frisco- the marina, hospital, on I70 highway, Walmart, shelter, etc. Our TEAM FRISCO Volunteers rocked it and were all over town searching with Summit County Animal Control and Shelter and Frisco PD, hanging neons and following sightings. We got a sighting of him yesterday and I was one block away. PD, a shelter volunteer and our SLPR volunteer, were all on scene doing exactly the right thing NOT CHASING and keeping people away from the dog and just waiting for us and the owners to arrive. I started the calming techniques while I waited for the owners to arrive. Within minutes, they were there and I stepped aside and hid behind this cabin and started filming and coaching them. They did EXACTLY the right things and let Goober take his time and trust them enough to come up to mama and smell her. You can see the moment he recognized mom when his tail starts wagging!!!
This is a perfect example of how dogs DO NOT RECOGNIZE THEIR OWNER when they are lost and in fight or flight survival mode. Many owners and the general public don't believe us when we tell them that their dog may not recognize them and run away when they approach. This is why we preach DO NOT CHASE and use these Calming Techniques! This rescue only took 15 minutes once the owners arrived, however sometimes, this process can take many hours or days to accomplish.
Patience and letting the dog come to you is key!! We are SO proud of the owners and grateful that they trusted our protocols. Welcome Home Goober!!
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Shortie- lost 1/2 day
This sweet girl was a shelter dog waiting to be adopted into her forever home. She escaped while on a walk with a volunteer and ran quickly all over Frisco. Our SLPR TEAM FRISCO worked quickly with Summit County Animal Control & Shelter. We got a call that she was hiding under a deck and our team went right away to start calming techniques and keep people away from her. Victoria arrived and crawled under the deck and was able to grab her leash and secure her. She jumped right in her car and laid down and she didn't try to bolt when they arrived at the shelter. She went right in her kennel like a good girl. We think she was relieved to be safe!
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Leni- lost 1 day
The conditions of this rescue couldn’t have been more dangerous as she was lost in a thunderstorm along I-70. Terrential downpour, lighting, thunder and right on I70. Leni went missing from her dog sitter and the owners contacted us immediately. We hung neons and did scent stations asap. Sightings came in VERY quickly and we tracked her travel pattern. She was super close to the Salt Lick Trailhead so we asked the owners to stay put and leave their scents there, while our team continued the search. Once we knew exactly where she was hiding in the ditch just off of I70, we coordinated a 12 member team along with animal control and created a human barrier so she wouldn't run up on the highway, while her owners continued the calming techniques. She eventually kept creeping closer to her owner, and he was finally able to earn her trust for her to come to him! That was a pretty intense rescue mission considering all of the danger surrounding Leni and our team! GO TEAM LENI!!
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Koda- lost 1 day
Koda is an indoor only cat who occasionally hangs out with her family on the deck but never leaves their sight, except this one evening she ran down the stairs and took off. No sightings came in that night and they called us the next morning. We searched with no sightings at all and after about an hour of searching, a little girl came up a few doors down and said she saw the cat early that morning by her house. We went to search the garage and we heard meowing! We heard more meowing coming from under the hood! The neighbors quickly opened it and there 18lb Koda was stuck inside the engine! That sweet little girl is a hero for telling us! Welcome home sweet Koda !
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Harry- lost few hours
Harry is a sweet senior kitty who was adopted from the shelter 2 weeks prior to him going missing. The sliding door was cracked and the owner was convinced that he snuck outside. She searched all over inside the condo and no sightings or meows at all. She called us and we started our search inside the house. I looked under the bed and visibly saw that he wasn't under there since the owner cleaned it all out. After a few minutes, we heard the sweetest meow!!! Harry cut a slit in the box springs and was tucked deep back inside them. I crawled under the bed and was able to grab him. Yay for Harry !!
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Olive- lost 1 day
WELCOME HOME OLIVE!!! This sweet kitty was missing for 1 day, which was very rare behavior for her, as she always came home. We assume that she was chased by some neighborhood wildlife, because she ended up on a VERY tall roof 3 doors down from home. Our volunteer, Laurie, went over to search and within 30 minutes, she heard meowing and was able to locate Olive on top of the roof hiding under a solar panel. Olive's very dedicated owner had open communication with her neighbor, placed some wet food out and we left the scene to give Olive some space to calm down and come down when she was ready. Her mama eventually went back with Olive's sibling golden retriever, Ruger, and was able to coax Olive down off the roof safely. Such a brave kitty!!
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Puma- lost 8 days
Puma was missing for 8 days from Dillon Valley. We believe he hopped a ride in a car and got displaced and ended up in Summit Cove. (About 5 miles away) On day 7, our volunteer Laurie saw him on her door camera and asked us if he was missing. We pieced the info together and realized it was Puma. We quickly put up neon signs and set out a scent station and started our search in the Cove.
Thank YOU Zac! He was on his way home from dinner and he saw Puma run across the street and got out of his car and left the lights on and followed him. Some guy was on the bike path and scared Puma back across the street. Zac went home to get his headlamp and spotted him and he just froze while this owner was calmly talking to Puma. Once Puma heard her voice, he started meowing and talking back to her and he froze and she was able to grab him!! WELCOME HOME PUMA!!!
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Cassidy- lost 4 days
Cassidy is SAFE!!! This sweet brindle lab heeler mix just moved to Summit County and she got lost 4 days after being here. Her owner reached out to us right away asking for help especially since he wasn't that familiar with the area yet. Our incredible volunteers went out immediately to start searching as we sent him the search protocols. Neon posters were hung, his dirty clothes were set for a scent station along with the cameras. The owner also hung over 100 flyers and we shared a Facebook campaign for her. Word spread very fast around town and we started getting some very valuable sightings. Our first sighting was her way up on the trail about 3 miles from her house. Our goal was to bring her down off the trails and come back into town. The owner was amazing in this search and did everything in his power to bring his sweet girl back home. He started grilling out at his house to draw her down the mountain and his hard work paid off. On Day 4, we got a sighting that she was back down in town and off the trails. Since we felt pretty confident that we then knew her travel pattern, we set an unarmed trap and refreshed the scent station. The entire day went by with no sightings until 10pm. She was seen at Keystone Resort and we went right away to search and didn't see her. The owner went back home and within 15 minutes he got another call that she was right outside at our scent station and trap. He calmly went outside, started calming techniques and tossed her some burger. She recognized him and immediately went to him. WELCOME HOME CASSIDY!! We are glad to have you both in our Summit Community!
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Jett- lost 4 days
TRAPPED after missing for 4 days!! Easter morning we got notice of a lost dog Jett on the Herman's Gulch trail following a hike with his owner’s son and his other dog Benny the night before. We hung neon signs and got comfort stations set up. We then saw Jett at the trailhead and immediately used calming techniques. We gained the Jett's trust and we also fell in love with this beautiful boy. We were unable to get our hands on him as he would only get so close. For the next 2 days we went to the trail head and he showed up just like Easter morning just after 8am. We talked to him and fed him. Day 3, we set an unarmed trap and cameras in the early evening. When we arrived back on the scene this morning at 7am, the video showed him at the trap several times and he was all the way in. So we knew we were ready to arm it that day. At 11am we got in our cars and we were just about to leave when he showed up!!! We ducked in our cars and didn’t let him see us-as much as we wanted to but since we’d had 3 unsuccessful days getting our hands on him we knew the trap was our best chance at rescuing this boy. He sniffed the area where Benny and the owner left their scents and within 20 minutes of the trap being armed, he didn't even hesitate and walked right in, and was caught!!
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Wilbur- lost 7 days
Wilbur was successfully trapped after being lost for 7 days in a very rural area with lost of predators. Wilbur, a foster dog escaped 48 hours after the foster picked him up from transport. The foster contacted us even though we are a few hours away, asking us for help and advice.
We shared our search protocols and helped lay out a strategy for catching Wilbur!
Thankfully Wilbur stayed within a mile range of the foster's house. We talked her through how to lead Wilbur to her house using a trail of yummy treats and it worked! Wilbur started coming up her driveway on Thursday and by Friday, she had him eating in front of the trap, and on Sunday, she trapped him!!
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Piper
Missing: 1/1/21-1/27/21
Piper is one tough girl!! She survived the snow, cold and the most insane windstorm (116mph winds)!! She is from California and was lost in Silverthorne on 1/1/21 while visiting Summit County. We were contacted by the owners and dog sitter, Katie, immediately and we activated our Summit Lost Pet Rescue, Inc. team of volunteers right away. We hung neon signs, got the owners dirty clothes out (comfort station), shared all over Facebook and Nextdoor.com and started the search. We received lots of calls for sightings and realized she was staying in the area where she was lost, so we set up cameras, food and a trap and started conditioning her to come every night. We almost had her trapped on Day 12- she was ONE inch away from stepping on the trigger plate in the trap. We thought the next night would be THE night for sure…..but then that crazy windstorm came and she disappeared. We were not giving up hope and still looked every day!
We had no sightings for the next 8 days! But then, Summit County Animal Control and Shelter called us with some sightings about 7-9 miles away on I70 in Frisco and Officers Gulch and we know that she was seen on Meadow Creek Trail as well, and this gave us new energy in our search! We quickly added more neon signs and comfort stations in these areas, and got a TON of sightings over the next week. This helped us figure out her travel pattern and where she was settling at night. We got a sighting at 1:00am and 4 volunteers and Animal Control quickly jumped out of bed and searched until 4:00am! On 1/27, the fresh snow showed some fresh paw tracks leading to the area where we thought she was at and we sent up a drone to help look. Our volunteers followed the tracks, and BOOM- we heard some growling! We called Animal Control immediately to come help, and within minutes they arrived, we saw Piper hiding and they were able to get her with a catch pole.
PIPER WAS SAFE after 27 cold days! She’s such a smart, strong resilient girl who knew how to find food and shelter! TEAM PIPER and the owners worked together like a well-oiled machine! We are so grateful for all of our volunteers, who literally will run out the door at any hour when we get a sighting. The owners, dog sitter and our team worked tirelessly around the clock for 27 long days and trusted our protocols in this rescue, to bring Piper back home. Thank you to Summit County Animal Control & Shelter who gave us all of the sightings, helped search and helped get her to safety once we finally found her!!! WELCOME HOME PIPER!!!
Sapphire
Missing: 1/14/21-1/15/21
We successfully tracked, located and rescued Sapphire in less than 48 hours. A 2 year old pit bull jumped out the window after her truck slammed into a semi truck on top of rabbit ears pass at 11,000ft and 25 miles between towns at 2am. The owner was sent to the hospital and his wife posted the next day. We were notified the next day and we called fellow Lost pet rescuers, Kris and Stella and we started our search and hung neon signs. Kris's husband noticed some tracks in the woods near the crash site so we entered the woods and started following the tracks. We saw evidence that she has been there and after15 mins... BOOM, she walks by right in front of us. She was in survival mode and when she saw us she barked and ran away. We were able to keep her in the woods and we left the area. We called the owner to inform her of the good news and we told her that Sapphire looks great and is not injured. The owner came up 1st thing the next morning and was able to get her in about 30 mins.
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Jade
Missing: 12/17/20-1/19/21
SAFE!!!! We are THRILLED that Jade has been FOUND and she is SAFE and healthy!!! YAY! THANK YOU to
Summit County Animal Control and Shelter
for your help in this rescue! We are so grateful for your partnership and couldn't have done this without you! Jade was missing for 35 days down in freezing, snowy, windy, Fairplay! She fought hard in these elements and is a SURVIVOR! Good girl Jade for following your nose and finding the trap and coming HOME!
Tip- ALWAYS put out smells that the dog recognizes right away when they go missing. Dirty shirts, socks, towels, sheets, pillow cases, blankets, etc. Jade used her nose to follow the smells that she was familiar with and found the trap!!
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Jessie
Missing: 9/9/20-11/9/20
ANOTHER KITTY SAFE!!!!!! Jessie, a 2 year old black kitty was missing for 7 weeks in Orem, Utah (south of Salt Lake City). The owners acted quickly and set up a camera and trap out on their front porch. Jessie was seen on camera coming back home, although she wouldn't go into the trap. The owners then reached out to us after she was missing for 4 weeks. We consulted with them remotely and gave them new hope and told them NOT to give up!
We shared our trap techniques and advised them to cover up the trap to disguise it. We also suggested that they try the "house trap" by leaving their door open and leave a trail of food leading far into the house. Jessie was curious about going inside, but she would only peek inside and not come fully in. She seemed more interested in the trap, so we then advised them to hang sardines in the far back of the trap in addition to leaving the bowl of food inside as well. She is a smart kitty and ate the hanging sardines two nights in a row. Then on the 3rd night, they put leaves in the trap to disguise the food, and she was FINALLY TRAPPED!!!
They were ready to give up, however they said that our advice and support kept them going!!! WELCOME HOME JESSIE!!
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Estrella
Missing: 10/19/20-10/30/20
ESTRELLA!!!!! We are SO relieved she is safe and back with her loving family after missing for 12 days! Calming Techniques worked yet again!!! This was one of our hardest rescues for us, as she literally ran from Copper to Vail Pass (about 10 miles roundtrip) almost twice daily for about a week and half and would not settle in one place. We could not have done it without the help of Dispatch taking all the calls with sightings, and
Summit County Animal Control and Shelter
with their partnership helping us search, follow up on sightings, help us set cameras and traps and creating a plan with us etc. They were out there with us every step of the way along with our incredible volunteers and the owners. The Copper community was SO helpful as well, and we are grateful for you all.
Estrella got lost when her family was traveling through the state to get home to Arizona. They stopped at a rest area and she slipped her collar. Once we found out that she was missing, we put up our neon signs and calls with sightings came in immediately with her up at Vail Pass as well as all over Copper. Bernece (her owner) flew back into town to help with the mission. We coached her on calming techniques, put out scent stations with her dirty clothes, and went with her on the sightings. Bernece got within 20 yards of Estrella up at Vail Pass and she used the calming techniques to get her to earn her trust and inch closer. She then got spooked when a trucker stopped and started chasing after her, and she ran into I70 and actually got hit by a car. She limped away and hid in the woods for the rest of the night. This was the day after our big snow storm and negative temps, so we were really concerned. (**THIS is why we ALWAYS ask people to NOT CALL OR CHASE a lost dog.)
The next day, we got more sightings that she was back down in Copper and we were relieved that she was ok. She started slowing down her running back and forth to Vail Pass as she was now injured and really hungry!! We tracked her travel patterns and knew where to set up food stations and cameras down in Copper. At this point, the owner had to fly back home, however Grandma flew in to take over the search. On 10/30, within 2 hours of Grandma being at Copper, she saw Estrella. She followed our calming techniques, got low to the ground, calmly shook treats and tossed them to her, she DID NOT CHASE her and didn't yell out her name. She let Estrella build trust and come to her. Eventually she got close enough and Grandma laid on top of her, as she did not have a leash with her. Our volunteers came quickly with a harness and leash and she was SAFE!!!!!! WELCOME HOME ESTRELLA!!! (Her leg is surprisingly ok from when she got hit by the car yay!!)
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Rubi
Missing: 9/18/20-10/10/20
RUBI IS SAFE after 23 days lost at Heaton Bay Campground off Dillon Dam Rd. John (the owner) contacted us saying he lost his cat while he was moving cross country and stayed over at the campground. Rubi was tethered to him with a harness and collar but when John woke up, Rubi was gone, but the leash and harness were both still there. He spent the day looking for him but eventually had to leave to continue on with his move. He asked if Summit Lost Pet Rescue would help search for him and we agreed. We put his crate with a camera at the campsite they were staying at for a couple weeks and we got nothing. We hung our neon signs (Thank you to our AMAZING volunteer Sherri Martin) and told all the campers but we didn't get any sightings. So we decided to pull our gear and wait for the campground to close. We assumed the campground was too busy for Rubi to come out of hiding, although we still searched all the time for him. Once the campground closed, we then decided to set Rubi's crate exactly where it was the night he disappeared and put our camera back up. Low and behold we got pictures of Rubi that very night. For the next 3 days we got pictures of him along with a big fox who didn’t see to bother him. We decided to set a trap. Since the fox was in the area, we didn’t want to leave the trap unattended so we had volunteers check every 2 hours. At midnight our AMAZING volunteer Tricia Taylor rode her bike in to check the trap, and WE GOT HIM!!! He was skinny, cold and stinky, but Rubi is a survivor and sooooooo sweet. He purred and meowed the whole way back to her house. The next morning we took him to the Summit County Animal Control and Shelter and the AMAZING staff (Thank You!!) took such GREAT care of Rubi until his owner was able to come to town to reunite. We are happy we didn’t give up on him and went back in after they closed, following our instincts. Welcome Home Rubi boy!!!
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Ziva
Missing: 8/8/20- 8/28/20
Ziva was taken by someone in Dillon and whisked off to Frisco, where she was spotted within the hour. Claire (the owner) called Animal Control right away and her friend posted on FB. We contacted Claire immediately and shared our search tips and protocols. Neon signs and flyers were put up the next morning and our volunteers went out to search. A week goes by with no sightings and then she was spotted on Rainbow Lake trail. We followed up on that lead but did not see her again. An entire week after that, Claire received a call saying Ziva was picked up and then taken Green Bay, WI. They said they did not report her because they didn't trust Animal Control. (**It is SO IMPORTANT to call animal control and report a found pet, because somebody is most likely looking for them.) Long story short, they told Claire that she had to drive to WI to get Ziva back. Thank goodness for good family and friends, because they were able to go get her and return her back home to Claire safely. WHAT A LONG JOURNEY she had!! She was SO happy to see her mama when she was reunited.
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Dorito
Missing: 8/17/20- 8/20/20
Dorito went missing from home and Thea (the owner) quickly made flyers and reached out for help. She did a thorough search in her yard and neighbors yard with no sightings at all. We have been collaborating and training with Bonnie McCririe Hale from Texas Pet Detectives Association while she’s here in Summit! We both have trained with the incredible Kat Albrecht-Thiessen at Missing Animal Response Network!
So on day 4 of Dorito being lost,Thea decided it was time to hire cat detection dog Idabel & Bonnie! We had a very successful cat rescue finding Dorito with Bonnie’s dog Idabel! Dorito was hiding under a shed 3 houses down from home. Idabel trailed his scent to the shed, and we found some cat fur under there. We left a can of cat food there and left the scene. 30 minutes later, Thea went back and sat quietly at the shed and within 2 minutes, Dorito crawled out from the shed and cuddled in her lap. Way to go Idabel and Thea for putting in the effort and staying persistent with the search. Welcome home sweet Dorito kitty!
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Nala
Missing: 6/4/20- 8/10/20
Nala.... the longest SLPR mission to date. 68 days. Here’s the story. On June 4th Juliet (the owner) was driving west bound on I-70 when she hit a puddle and spun out, rolling her car. Her cat Nala escaped during the medical response. Juliet was rushed to the hospital and emergency crews tried to locate the cat but was unable to. Juliet attempted to try to trap Nala on her own and after a few days she realized that she wasn’t going to be able to. On June 9th, Summit Lost Pet Rescue was notified and sent a team up to the crash site to put 4 unarmed traps and cameras up. On June 10, we got our 1st picture of Nala confirming she was alive. We put sardines and wet cat food out try to keep her in the area but all that did was bring in all sorts of wildlife. Bears, foxes, elk, moose ect. We suspected she went into hiding. We continued to check cameras and threw her normal dry cat food all over the crash site. In hopes she would come out of hiding and eat some of the kibble. 3 weeks went by and Juliet asked us if she should accept that her cat was gone. We said no, lets keep checking. Our gut told us that she went into hiding and that she was still alive. After 5 1/2 weeks, onJuly 17th, we got another sighting of her re-confirming that she WAS still alive!! We decided to pull all the food and try to get wildlife to move on. After a few days all the large wildlife left the area. Sightings of Nala on our trail cameras increased drastically. From only in the middle of the night to mornings and evenings. When she finally acknowledged the traps, we set 4 and volunteers Troy and Kendra Peterson checked them periodically through out the night. After a few days we noticed she was trap shy so we decided to rig the trap doors open to prevent an accidental trigger. After 4 days, we decided she was comfortable enough to re-arm the trap and on August 10th, 2020 at approximately 17:45, Nala was trapped. She slept overnight with Kendra & Troy and was taken to the Frisco Animal Hospital first thing the next morning. Once she received a clean bill of health, she was transferred to the shelter for safe-keeping and great care until Juliet could pick her up a few days later. Nala is a SURVIVOR!!!
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Stella
Missing: 7/12/20- 7/12/20
In our field we need hero’s anywhere we can get them. Mags with Silverheels Towing company was the hero on this rescue. Here’s the story. We got a call saying there was a roll over car accident out near BV. Usually it takes days or a week for us to be notified but bc of everyone spreading our name we were called in hours. The owner was air lifted via Flight For Life with a broken neck, one dog had a broken leg and the other, Stella, fled into the woods. We asked him to leave the owners clothes out to try to keep her in the area. Thinking he had to leave BUT he didn’t. He stayed there for 3 hours protecting Stella from running back into the highway. We sent 2 team members Coleen Aoibhneas and Lisa Fallon Ferguson to the scene. A relative of the owner showed up and they were able to catch her. Instead of days it took only hours. Thank you Mags, for being Stella's hero!
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Sunny
Missing: 6/21/20- 6/22/20
We had a very successful first joint mission between Summit Lost Pet Rescue & Summit County Rescue Group (SCRG). Sunny went missing while on a hike up in the high country on Lenawee Trail near Montezuma. Karen (his owner) searched all over the area until it got dark. A friend of hers posted on Facebook to get the word out and our team created flyers and suggested that she set out a scent station right away. The following morning, our volunteer Britt Gilbert hung flyers and neon signs all over the area and she & Anna DeBattiste from SCRG led the search out on the trail. They spread the word and told lots of hikers and campers in the area to keep an eye out for Sunny. That afternoon, a biker saw Sunny running on the trail and rode all the way back to the trailhead to get Karen's phone number on the flyer. He called her and she immediately went to the area and soon after she saw Sunny. He ran straight over to her and they were thrilled to be reunited!
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Grundy
Missing: 6/6/20- 6/10/20
Grundy was lost as his family was driving though town and he jumped out of the car at a gas station in Breck. Krista (the owner) posted on facebook and we reached out to help her. Our Team Leader Lisa, Animal Control & Breck PD went out right away to start searching. We created flyers and neon signs and then sightings started coming in from our amazing community. We found out where he was settling, so we set a trap, camera and the owners dirty clothes to draw him in and keep him in the area so he wouldn't run. Lisa checked the camera and refreshed the trap daily! On Day 5, we had visual of him all day long, thanks to Lisa who dedicated herself to watching him all day for us!! We were able to lure him to the trap by using these calming techniques with our backs turned to him and tossed treats. He actually went half way into the trap but not far enough to trigger the door to close. He slept on his owners clothes for about 3 hours at a time. He wandered off in the evening and we got a call about another sighting, and Breck PD caught him with a catch pole!
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Maverick
Missing: 6/2/20- 6/6/20
Maverick is a retired sled dog who ran in the Iditarod in Alaska for many years. He escaped from his brand new owner's home, ten minutes after he got adopted. He jumped out of a second story window and took off in Dillon. The shelter contacted us right away and we put our team into action immediately and worked closely with Andrew, (the owner). We delegated tasks to our team of volunteers which included making & hanging flyers and neon signs, putting out scent stations, posting on Nextdoor.com, and getting out on foot to do a quick hasty search. The shelter staff, set up a trap with scent items and we added a camera. We received multiple sightings of him running nonstop in nearby neighborhoods for the next 4 days. He visited the trap on the 4th night but he was able to escape it. Finally on the 5th night, he came back and we got him trapped! Andrew, the shelter staff and our team worked flawlessly together night and day until Mav was safe back at home!
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Mango
Missing: 4/30/20- 5/14/20
Mango was missing for 15 long days while escaping from his house in Dillon. Julia (his owner) and family acted very quickly and reached out to us for help. We created flyers, gave them neon signs, traps, and food and she set out comfort stations. Julia took charge and hung flyers literally everywhere in the neighborhood and sightings started coming in. She then hung the neon signs, set the traps & cameras and went out and searched every single night and saw him a few times up on the hill by I70. She knew the calming techniques so she knew not to chase him, yet he still wouldn't come to her. On the 15th night at midnight, she got a phone call with a legit sighting. She went out and was able to get within 5 feet of him, yet he ran away. She moved a trap there with some smelly sardines, and success-He was trapped that night! She brought him home the next morning and he was loved by his family.
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Oliver
Missing: 4/24/20- 4/26/20
Oliver was involved in an almost fatal car accident near Buena Vista and was missing for 2 days. We saw Sam's (the owner) lost dog post on our facebook page and we contacted her immediately to help. We created flyers and gave her sign kit supplies to take down and hang at the crash site immediately. She watched the Calming Techniques video and learned how to approach Oliver if she saw him and shared these techniques with her search party. She took charge of the search at the crash site and made sure everyone followed search protocols. While she was out in the woods, Sam received a call saying that they saw Oliver circling their car. She continued to sit in the meadow with her back to the trees he was in as she talked to her other two dogs, giving them treats and tossing some behind her. Her husband got the dog beds out of the car put them between Sam and the car, and then he walked away and sat in the distance, while leaving the car door open. In about an hour, Oliver made his way back and hopped into her jeep on his own!
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Kitty in Dillon Valley
Missing: 4 YEARS!!!!
This is an incredible story of a cat who was found by one of our volunteers, Erica! She noticed a cat wandering around her driveway and hiding under her car for a few weeks. We gave her a cat trap and camera to place in her driveway. After a few days, the cat finally went into the trap!! Team Leader Tricia, kept him safe overnight and took him to the shelter. We shared all over facebook, and the owners recognized him right away, went to the shelter and the kitty remembered them immediately. The owners said that he got lost after they moved to a new neighborhood, and he made his way back to their old neighborhood 5 miles away, where he was found by Erica 4 YEARS LATER! He was resilient and survived all that time! What a strong kitty!!!
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Henry
Missing: 11/2/19-11/13/19
Henry went missing for 11 days in Fairplay CO. We contacted Andy (the owner) a couple of days after he went missing once we saw his missing post on FB. Andy didn't see him for 3 days at that point. Team Leaders Kerrie and Emily started hanging signs and flyers and sightings started coming in. We tracked his sightings for 7 days and made an educated guess where his safe place was and where he was settling. We set up 4 comfort stations (a pile of the owners clothes with a camera) around said place. On day 11, Andy walked up to station #3 and found Henry sleeping in his clothes.
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Lucy & Lu
Missing: 10/1/19-10/10/19
The Camp Host at Heaton Bay Campground in Dillon, called Animal Control to report that two dogs were dumped and the truck took off. Animal control then informed Melissa & Brandon, and they brought on Team Leader Tricia and other volunteers to help set up cameras, signs, comfort stations and traps. We all worked as a team to check the cameras and re-bait the traps every few hours, day & night. Once Lucy was caught, she was taken to the shelter to be cared for. The shelter staff and animal control brought Lucy back to the traps daily to spread her scent, to help draw Lu into the traps. A few hours before a huge snow storm and negative temps, Lu finally went into the trap after smelling Lucy. They were reunited back at the shelter before they were adopted together.
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Outlaw
Missing: 8/30/19-9/14/19
Outlaw was involved in an almost fatal crash on I70 near Vail Pass where he ran from the scene and missing for 14 days. His owner, Cynthia, was hospitalized down in Denver and they initially relied on community support to help find him. Over a two-week span, Team Advisor Katie took charge and led the team while sharing her expertise with all of us. Signs and flyers were hung, comfort stations were set out, volunteers searched daily and Katie camped out every night. After receiving solid leads, traps were set. In the meantime, the owners had to go back home to Tennessee and the search continued. On the 14th day, he finally went into a trap and was saved. He was found healthy and uninjured. After a few days of recovering at the shelter, the owner flew back to DIA to pick up Outlaw, where they had a heartfelt reunion.
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