Dog Missing After Caldor Fire Found Alive Months Later

Almost four months since the Caldor Fire ripped through Northern California, many people evacuated their homes leaving many of their belongings, for some that included pets. One lucky dog, Russ was able to survive for months after separation from his owners.

Amid the chaos of the evacuation, a dog named Russ got separated from his owners. Along with many other missing pets, Russ was assumed to be another casualty of the fire. However, just a few months later, a man skiing in the South Lake Tahoe area reported seeing what he thought was a dog lying in the snow. He tried to approach it but it growled at him so he snapped some pictures of it and posted a report on Facebook. 

TLC 4 Furry Friends as well as Tahoe Paws a few local animal rescues, were alerted to the Facebook post reporting the sighting. Quickly volunteers Leona Allen and Lisa Goule strapped some snowshoes on and headed out to search for the dog. After following what they hoped to be dog prints in the snow, they eventually stumbled upon a black pit bull terrier mix nestled in the snow.

Rescuers said the dog appeared to be dead, but as they approached he lifted his head. They earned his trust and brought him down the slope in a sled. After a two-hour trek back down the pup immediately saw a vet. After confirming he was in good health his owners were notified of his rescue. His owners were ecstatic to hear Russ was alive after months of missing.