Spelunkers found a dog who had been missing for two months in a 22-mile Missouri cave.
Gerry Keene and Rick Haley happened upon Abby, a senior pup, during a caving project in Perry County.
Expedition Leads to Rescue
Keene and Haley, experienced cavers, found Abby covered in dirt while spelunking through the 22-mile Missouri Moore Cave system.
“The dog was not in good shape. We package the dog in a duffel bag with her head sticking out,” Haley described in a Facebook post, “We moved her 500 feet to a very tight, awkward, vertical climb, handing her hand to hand upward to the surface.”
Getting Abby out of the cave was just half of the battle. She lacked identification, so the rescuers took it upon themselves to go door-to-door with the local Assistant Fire Chief until they found her home.
Luckily, they knocked the right door. Upon her return, Abby’s pet parent said she went missing on June 9. She assumed her pup was gone for good.
Importance of Microchipping
Abby is just one of thousands of dogs who go missing in the United States every year. According to the AKC, only 10 percent of lost dogs return to their families. Fortunately for Abby, she didn’t wander too far. She’s also fortunate that these good Samaritans took the time to find her home.
If Abby had strayed farther, it might have been a different story. One way to increase the likelihood of your pup being found in the case of their disappearance is to microchip. Recently, a dog missing for six years found her way back home thanks to a microchip. To read more about the importance of microchipping, click here.
