A dog that went missing nearly two months ago was found alive by a pair of hikers on a mountain trail in Colorado just before Thanksgiving, authorities said.
The two hikers spotted the Bernese mountain dog at Meyers Ranch Park on Nov. 19 without her owner in sight, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday in a social media post.
"With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we want to share this story of thanksgiving for the acts of kindness shown to a lost pet," the sheriff’s office said at the time.
The hikers decided to try befriending the injured and scared dog in the hopes of bringing the pup down the mountain to safety. When one hiker tried to carry the dog, the pet bit them, according to officials.
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Despite the bite, the sheriff’s office said that both hikers refused to give up on helping the injured dog. One hiker remained on the trail with the animal while the other descended the mountain for medical help and to give rescuers the dog’s location.
Rangers and animal control officers hiked up the trail and brought the dog down safely to the trailhead.
"As luck would have it, a ranger remembered a lost dog poster posted in the park over a month ago," the sheriff’s office said. "#JCSO Animal Control called the owner to arrange a meet-up at the trailhead."
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Rescuers reunited the pup, named Nova, with its owner. Nova had suffered a broken leg but was now "resting comfortably" at home and awaiting possible surgery, the sheriff’s office said.
Nova is 14 months old and is a service dog in training, the Greeley Tribune reported. Nova had slipped out of her harness and ran away after getting scared in a Safeway parking lot two months ago.
Nova’s owner, Robynne Simons-Sealy, told the paper that her dog survived two snowstorms and frigid temperatures.
"I was in tears every time it snowed," she said, and thanked the hikers for the kindness they showed in helping to rescue the pup.
