A beloved dog that went missing in August 2021 has been reunited with his owner after a backcountry skier found him four months later, huddled up in deep snow.
Pit bull-terrier mix, Russ, was discovered curled up in the snow near Twin Peaks, west of South Lake Tahoe in California on Dec. 16, seemingly unable to move. The frozen pup growled at the individuals who observed him.
However, a man skiing west of Tahoe saw the dog and managed to take photos and posted them online.
El Dorado County Animal Services Officer Kyle Shumaker was notified and he tried his luck but was unable to reach Russ through the 5-foot mountainside snow and steep terrain.
After Gaule earned his trust, the duo wrapped Russ in a blanket and placed him on the sled into one of their arms to keep him warm. “Since it was dark,” said the welfare group, “the trek down the mountain was slow and methodical.”
Shumaker drove Russ to a vet for assessment where he was declared healthy and his microchip traced his elated owner.
“When contacted, the owner was ecstatic to find out that his dog was alive!” the organization wrote on Facebook. “Russ had gotten scared and run off from his owner’s vehicle while he was in Tahoe for a job ... in August!”
After Russ went missing, the owner had reported the case to Animal Services and continued his fervent search until he was, himself, evacuated when the Caldor Fire neared his home in Riverside County. He later assumed Russ was gone for good.
Russ and his owner have since been reunited.
