It was just an ordinary day for Zach Hackett, who went hiking on a mountain in Summit County, Colorado. This 33-year-old man had gone off the trail, but after he realized that the preferred route was impassable, he decided to backtrack the way he came.
As he turned back and started descending, he heard a faint, vague yip that sounded like a dog. He looked a little closer towards some fallen trees – and he was right! There was a shivering, black-and-white Sheltie sitting all alone in this world.
What this man from Breckenridge, Colorado, didn’t know at the time was that the Sheltie was not an ordinary stray doggo. Here’s why…
Riley Had Gone Missing Five Weeks Earlier
Even though Zach didn’t know the full story, he decided to help this poor furball anyway. He slowly approached him, trying not to scare him, as the dog was obviously frightened and in shock. On top of all that, he was shivering from the cold, as it was only 45 degrees outside.
The dog’s name was Riley. He was an 8-year-old Shetland Sheepdog that had been missing for more than five weeks at the time.
Riley’s owner, Mike Krugman, was desperately looking for him, and when he couldn’t do it anymore, he reached out to Summit Lost Pet Rescue who tirelessly worked on this case.
Zach Was At The Right Place – At The Right Time
Zach called out to Riley, offering him a cookie, but the dog didn’t budge. Zach realized that Riley was too weak to respond or even stand up. All he could do was lift his head up a little, and that was about it. Apparently, his yip was his last cry for help that took him all he had…
When Zach finally approached him, he bundled him up in a windbreaker, took him in his arms, and started carrying him down the mountain.
After carrying him for about two hours to his house, he decided to give the dog a nice, relaxing bath and then plenty of water. He seemed slightly better, but he was still too weak to do anything, which is why Zach decided to take him to Summit County Animal Shelter.
When the two entered the facility, Catherine Adair, the AC officer, immediately recognized Riley. She couldn’t believe that it was the same pooch they had been looking for over a month.
He was clearly emaciated, weak, and skinnier than he was, and on top of all that – he had a low body temperature. The good news was that Riley’s life was not in danger – all he needed was a slow, gradual recovery.
Emotional Reunion
Catherine rushed to contact Mike, Riley’s owner, and give him the great news, and he was in the shelter in no time!
The SLPR team immediately posted about Riley’s successful rescue, causing hundreds of reactions from the people who had been keeping up with his story all along.
Mike was so happy to finally be able to scoop up his loving dog, and Riley seemed so relieved in Mike’s arms!
Mike says that he let Riley on his regular, pre-meal walk on his 36-acre property, but when he prepared his kibble to feed him – Riley was gone.
Mike went down to find the dog, and when he got to the barn, he noticed that his five-foot-fence was buried in snow, leaving it easy for Riley to escape.
The dog probably walked over the top of the fence and left the property, but he obviously wandered too far into the mountains to be able to return on his own.
The other possibility, according to Mike, was that the dog actually went looking for his loving owner – Mike’s late wife, Pam. She recently passed away of a heart condition, leaving Riley devastated.
However, thanks to Zach’s selfless act, Riley was finally safe and home – starting all over with his 74-year-old owner.
Building Towards A Full Recovery
Since Riley had lost half of his weight during his missing period, there was a long recovery period ahead of him. Mike took him to the animal clinic in Breckenridge, Colorado, where he spent several days recovering.
It was truly a miracle that he had no fatal injuries and that he even survived in such horrible conditions, but apparently, this little guy is a true fighter!
Thanks to his hero rescuer and a little bit of fate, Riley was finally where he always belonged – home!