Dog Survives 43 Days in Colorado Mountains, Found Alive

Rocky was supposed to be on a California-bound road trip with his owner, Steven Maa, when everything changed in an instant on December 28.

The New Jersey native had stopped in Montezuma, Colorado, to enjoy some skiing while Rocky stayed with a pet sitter. Minutes after the handoff, Rocky slipped his harness and bolted into rugged mountain terrain at 10,000 feet above sea level.

Maa and his partner searched through snowstorms until 3 a.m. before calling Summit Lost Pet Rescue, a Colorado nonprofit specializing in finding lost pets. The team immediately deployed trail cameras, scent stations, and community alerts across the mountain town.

After three days, a resident's security camera caught Rocky on video. He was alive, but then he vanished again for 40 more days.

Founder Brandon Ciullo knew the odds were grim. Vehicles, wildlife, and freezing temperatures threaten dogs in these situations every day. As weeks stretched on without sightings, the team prepared to scale back their search efforts.

Then on February 9, another Ring camera captured footage of a small black dog. Ciullo recognized Rocky immediately and rushed to the scene. "This dog has been missing for 43 days, and I'm sure it is extremely starving and very, very close to dying," he told his team.

Using Maa's clothing to create a scent trail, rescuers set a humane trap with peanut butter. Rocky entered once but didn't trigger it. Ciullo reset the trap and made a vow: "I'm not leaving this mountain until this dog is in the back of my truck."

Hours later, Rocky was finally safe. He had dropped from 50 pounds to just 26 pounds, yet somehow he still had energy and life in him.

Sunny's Take

The reunion on February 13 brought tears to everyone involved. "Getting to see Rocky and seeing how happy he was to see me was definitely very emotional," Maa said. "It was amazing."

Rocky's survival against the odds reminds us that hope and determination can overcome even the harshest circumstances. This scrappy little dog endured six weeks of subzero nights, limited food, and mountain predators because somewhere deep inside, he was fighting to get home.

Summit Lost Pet Rescue never gave up either, showing what's possible when a community rallies around a cause.

Rocky is now recovering and finally continuing that interrupted journey to California, this time with a story of resilience that will inspire anyone facing impossible odds.