What began as a regular Sunday quickly spiraled into worry for Brian Spies when his ten-month-old German Shepherd, Luna, never returned home.
That morning, Luna had been roaming outdoors in Lotus, California, just as she always did. But when time passed with no sign of her, Spies felt something was wrong.
Fearing she might be injured or in danger, he gathered several friends and immediately started searching for her.
Searching With Growing Fear
The group drove through the area and explored the surrounding woods, calling Luna’s name as they looked. Even after hours of searching, there was no trace of the missing pup.
Spies could not shake his anxiety. With so many predators in the region, he feared the worst.
“We have bears, mountain lions, coyotes, foxes … Yeah, we’ve kind of got them all. So we didn’t know if a mountain lion snagged her,” he told KCRA 3.
They searched until the sun went down, but Luna remained missing.
A Shocking Discovery
The next day, Spies’ friend Luka Bogdanovich was driving nearby when he noticed something strange. There, balanced awkwardly on a slanted tree branch about 25 feet above the ground, was a furry shape.
A closer look confirmed it was Luna.
Bogdanovich called Spies immediately, and Spies hurried to the location with an extension ladder. Friends gathered around, steadying the ladder and positioning a sleeping bag beneath it in case Luna slipped.
The moment she spotted her rescuers, Luna’s tail began wagging, clearly relieved.
Safe In His Arms Again
Spies climbed up carefully until he reached his stranded dog. Overwhelmed with emotion, he wrapped his arms around her.
“I kind of reached up, grabbed her, and bear-hugged her and walked down the ladder with no hands, as carefully as possible,” Spies said.
Once they reached the ground, Luna nuzzled into him, finally at ease after her frightening adventure.
Spies believes she likely chased a squirrel up the tree and then froze once she realized how high she was.
Although Luna was a bit worn out afterward, she bounced back within a couple of days, full of her usual playful energy.
Spies admired her athletic feat but hoped she had learned to avoid such risky climbs.
What mattered most was simple. Luna was home again, safe with the person who loved her more than anything.
Video