Dog that bolted into mountains reunited with owner after 43 days in wilderness
A beloved dog that vanished into Colorado’s Rocky Mountains has been reunited with his owner after surviving 43 days alone in harsh winter wilderness.
Steven Maa had left his 10-year-old brindle mixed-breed dog, Rocky, with a pet sitter on Dec. 28 while stopping in the small mountain town of Montezuma for a day of skiing during a cross-country move to California. During the stay, Rocky became frightened and bolted into the snowy mountain terrain.
Maa and his partner, Kate, immediately began searching the steep backcountry in the middle of a snowstorm, continuing into the early-morning hours before contacting the nonprofit Summit Lost Pet Rescue for assistance.
Rescuers quickly deployed trail cameras and created scent stations filled with familiar smells to lure the dog back. They also circulated Rocky’s photo on social media in hopes that someone might spot him.
“Steve was definitely worried that Rocky wouldn’t survive the night,” said Brandon Ciullo, founder of Summit Lost Pet Rescue. “I explained that in our experience, the biggest risks are vehicles first, then wildlife, and then the environment.”
After three days of searching in subzero temperatures, the rescue team captured an image of Rocky on a trail camera, confirming he was alive. But after that sighting, he disappeared again for more than a month.
Maa spent over a week combing the mountains but ultimately faced the painful decision to continue his move to California while volunteers kept searching daily on his behalf. As weeks passed, efforts were gradually reduced.
Then, on Feb. 9, a Montezuma resident’s Ring camera captured footage of a dog believed to be Rocky. Ciullo immediately left another rescue call to respond.
“This dog has been missing for 43 days and is likely starving and very close to dying,” Ciullo recalled telling the other pet owner.
Maa confirmed the dog in the footage was Rocky, and rescuers set a humane trap lined with scent trails and a blanket. Rocky entered the trap within hours and lay down to rest — but the door failed to close.
After resetting the trap and baiting it with peanut butter, rescuers finally secured Rocky later that night, ending his 43-day ordeal.
The dog was severely underweight, having lost nearly half his body mass, but was otherwise in surprisingly good condition. He was reunited with Maa on Feb. 13.
“Seeing Rocky and how happy he was to see me was incredibly emotional,” Maa said.
Now settled in California with his owner, Rocky appears unchanged by his time in the wilderness.
“It didn’t seem like his personality or emotions had changed at all,” Maa said. “He just jumped right back into being his old, cuddly self.”
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