A dog lost for four months was found alive in the snow and was reunited with its owner

(CNN) – When Ricardo Rodríguez was evacuated by the Caldor Fire in early September, he was not sure if he would see his dog again.

Rodriguez was camping in the Lake Tahoe area with four of his friends and Russ, their 3-year-old pit bull mix.

Russ ran away in late August after someone scared him, Rodriguez told CNN. He and his friends spent hours searching for the dog and called local shelters to report it missing.

As the days passed, the fires started and engulfed the area and the community was ordered to evacuate, forcing Rodriguez to leave without Russ.

The Caldor Fire was responsible for the destruction of nearly 1,000 structures, including homes and businesses. It also consumed more than 80,938.9 hectares of land near the California-Nevada border.

“After months of no news, I assumed I was in good hands with another owner,” Rodriguez told CNN, “I was hopeful that one day he would return.”

Fast forward to December 16 when a skier near Twin Peaks, located west of South Lake Tahoe, noticed a dog huddled in the snow near a tree.

El Dorado County Animal Services Agent Kyle Shumaker was unable to reach the dog, so Wendy Jones, founder and CEO of Tahoe PAWS & TLC 4 Furry Friends.

The nonprofit group works to search for and rescue missing or missing animals. Jones told CNN that he was unable to attend this rescue mission because he was already working on another, so he sent two of his volunteers.

It was then that Leona Allen and Elsa Gaule began the mission.

“We don’t even hesitate,” Allen told CNN. “We only had one chance, or we caught him or he wouldn’t survive the night.”

Allen has been a volunteer at Tahoe PAWS for about three years and this was Elsa’s first mission with the group.

Saving Russ

The rescue mission was a team effort between the two women and Agent Shumaker, who provided them with a sled.

The women began the hike up the steep snowy hill in freezing temperatures.

Allen followed the tracks in the snow to guide her to the puppy. “In the shaft of a fir tree there was a dark mass,” Allen said, “I thought it was him, but it wasn’t moving.”

That’s when Russ raised his head and opened his eyes.

“I was in the middle of the hill and I heard Leona start screaming,” Gaule told CNN. “At first he wasn’t sure why he was yelling, but he said, ‘Elsa, I found him and he’s alive!’

The next step was to rescue Russ safely. He was very scared and even let out a slight growl at the women, but both told CNN this was out of fear and not assault.

After trying to lure him in with treats, Gaule decided to slowly approach the dog.

“I took my hand and put it under her chin, and she immediately rested her head on my hand,” Gaule said. It was then that they knew he was confident and ready to be rescued.

They methodically moved to get Russ to safety down the mountain.

Russ was wrapped in blankets and placed on Allen’s lap in the sled, which Gaule slowly guided his descent.

“Every second counts,” Allen said, “This dog had been there most of the day.” The entire mission took several hours.

Once they reached the foot of the hill, Russ was turned over to Agent Shumaker, who then transported him to the vet.

Russ was completely healthy despite being alone for not only four months, but also in the midst of fires and freezing weather.

“Dogs go into survival mode,” Jones told CNN, “They are super strong and super smart … it’s like a light switch in their brain is turned off and survival mode is activated.”

Russ stayed at the shelter for a few days while they used his microchip to search for his owner.

Both Allen and Gaule say they visited Russ while he was there and noted how sweet and gentle he was to everyone.

“Pit bulls have a bad rap, but they don’t deserve it,” Allen added. She says they were face to face the entire trip, but not once was she concerned that he was aggressive.

Rodríguez was tracked down and informed of Russ’s whereabouts. “I was ecstatic,” he said. “I was hoping to help my dog ​​find his way back home.”

On December 26, the two reunited.

All parties involved in this mission took note of the team effort that took place. Without the help of each person, Russ would not have been happily reunited with his owner.