Blind dog rescued after being lost for 2 weeks in the cold

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — A blind dog who wandered away from her Ester, Alaska, home during a cold snap has been reunited with her owner.

The 11-year-old Labrador retriever named Madera ventured away from home on Feb. 6, when the temperature dipped to 40 degrees below zero.

Her owner, Ed Davis, said he didn't expect to find her alive. "My best hope was to walk those trails and look for a track that might be hers," he said. "My best hope was to find a frozen dog."

A man riding a bike accompanied by a bell-wearing dog located Madera in the woods last week, about a half-mile from the Davis' home, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (http://ow.ly/JLEQr) reported. Madera let out a whine when she heard the dog's bell.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20150228/us-odd-blind_dog_found-84e0df4925.html

[shenmue]

1. Mercy!

[elias49]

2. Yay yay yay!!! nt

[villager]

17. What Elias said.

[Still In Wisconsin]

3. I needed a "rescued doggie" story today

Thanks for posting that

[hlthe2b]

4. This story made me cry...

and rush to hug my own (very spoiled) doggy girl.

[Triana]

5. Photo of Ed and Madera...

Ed Davis poses with his dog Madera at his home Thursday morning, February 26, 2015. Madera, who is 11-years old and blind, survived two weeks in sub-zero temperatures after wandering away from home earlier this month.

LINK: http://www.newsminer.com/features/outdoors/blind-ester-dog-found-alive-after-weeks-in-cold/article_5266dbc8-be53-11e4-8f65-170b9ebcc99d.html

[BlancheSplanchnik]

6. ...

❤

[Judi Lynn]

12. So good she's back with her friend, can get warm enough now. n/t

[Lefta Dissenter]

14. OK,

so I managed to NOT CRY on this thread up until I saw that photo. Just look at that sweet face!

[UpInArms]

7. and the best part (other than the return of the dog - alive) was:

The man who rescued her, Constantine Khrulev, asked for the $100 reward money to go to the Fairbanks Animal Shelter Fund. Davis was so impressed by the gesture that he increased the donation to $250.

[passiveporcupine]

8. How can a house dog survive those kinds of temps for so long

This is an amazing rescue story. I'm so glad she was found alive and basically healthy. He looks like a really sweet guy too.

[Fla Dem]

9. Nice to have a heartwarming story. Thanks! nt

[sheshe2]

10. Poor Baby~

So glad Madera made it home safely.

[Judi Lynn]

11. So glad someone looked for her in time. n/t

[hopemountain]

13. labradors are so loyal

what a love she is - she has a very strong will to live and no wonder - she has love at home. an amazing story.

[SheilaT]

15. So nice to read this.

About ten years ago a cat showed up in our front yard, skin and bones and very flea-ridden. We started feeding her, then decided we'd let her join our life and never regretted the decision. She's since passed on, but I often wonder how it was that a wonderful cat who clearly had been a well-taken care of pet for a long time, wound up homeless like that. I occasionally wondered if her first family had searched for here to no avail. I'll never know.

And so, I find it especially heart-warming to know a pet who went astray was found and returned.

[glinda]

16. Why were her owners not paying attention? Glad she was found but pissed at owners.

[magical thyme]

18. she didn't come back when they let her out to pee

she usually went out, did her thing, and immediately returned.

It can happen if you don't take 5 minutes to get dressed and go out with them if they need to go in the middle of the night. When the snow is deep, they can disappear out of sight behind a snow bank for a moment...and by the time you realise they are missing, they can have gone quite a way.

In the meantime, when the snow is that cold it is very light weight and any breeze blows it right over any tracks. On the other hand, the well traveled paths get very packed down and covered with shallow tracks that go every which way.

I watch mine from a window, but especially worry about my old lab who is very independent. All it takes is a momentary distraction.

[glinda]

20. Exactly. So where were the owners? Getting a coke?

[magical thyme]

21. You obviously didn't bother to read what I wrote.

Welcome to ignore. I don't have room in my life for perfect beings who never in their lives have made a mistake.

[magical thyme]

19. so glad she was found alive and mostly ok!

My boys can't take even close to that level of cold for long -- my lab-x's big clodhopper feet get so cold so fast when we get below 0, within 15 minutes or so he ends up holding his paws up and and limping. And then licks them forever when I bring him back inside.