Dog Survives 43 Days in Rocky Mountains, Returns Home

Steven Maa thought he'd lost his dog forever when Rocky bolted into the Rocky Mountains during a blizzard at nearly 10,000 feet elevation.

Steven was driving cross country from New Jersey to California for a new job when he stopped for skiing in Montezuma, Colorado on December 28. He left Rocky with a pet sitter, but the brown and black dog escaped and ran straight into the mountains just as a winter storm arrived.

The town's mayor connected Steven with Summit Lost Pet Rescue, a nonprofit that recovered 213 of 214 lost dogs last year. Founder Brandon Ciullo and his team immediately set up trail cameras and scent stations using Steven's clothes and a dog bed to lure Rocky out of hiding.

Rocky appeared on camera after a few days, giving everyone hope. But temperatures dropped below zero, and after spending multiple 16-hour days searching without success, Steven had to make a heartbreaking choice: leave for his new job in California without his beloved companion.

"I just couldn't believe we couldn't find him," Brandon told reporters. Weeks passed with no sightings as a Colorado winter raged on.

Then on February 9th, 43 days after Rocky disappeared, a resident's Ring camera caught footage of an unidentified dog. Steven recognized Rocky's collar immediately.

Brandon and co-founder Melissa Davis rushed to set up a humane trap with scent trails from Steven's clothes leading to a cage. Within three hours, Rocky walked inside.

Sunny's Take

Rocky had dropped from 50 pounds to just 26 pounds, losing nearly half his body weight during his mountain ordeal. But when Steven flew in from California for the reunion, the exhausted dog's energy surged back instantly.

"We were just so overjoyed," Steven said. "And in disbelief that he could survive for that long." Tears filled the room as Rocky jumped excitedly around his owner, as if the 43 days had never happened.

Brandon, who has helped reunite hundreds of pets with their families, said Rocky's case touched him differently. "He's the only dog I've ever cried over. It was amazing. These reunions are why we do what we do."

Rocky now holds the record for the longest successful recovery in Summit Lost Pet Rescue history, proving that sometimes hope and persistence pay off even when the odds seem impossible.