A couple of hikers recently found a dog on a mountain trail in Colorado, as per reporting by Fox News. The Bernese Mountain dog, Nova, had been missing for about two months. Fortunately, she was returned home just in time for Thanksgiving.
The scared dog bit one of the hikers
The Jefferson County Sheriff shared the entire incident in an Instagram post. He wrote that two hikers spotted the dog on Nov. 19 in Meyers Ranch Park. The owner was nowhere to be seen.
As such, the hikers decided to befriend the dog and take her down the mountain safely. However, while they were trying to rescue her, Nova bit one of the hikers.
According to CBS Colorado, the dog had a broken leg and had slipped out of its collar. Given that, and despite the bite, the hikers were determined to help the injured, scared pup.
One hiker remained with the canine while the other went down the mountain to get medical attention, as well as to provide the dog’s location to rescuers.
Hours after that, rescuers and animal control officers were able to reach Nova and bring her down to the trailhead.
One of the rescuers recalled a “lost dog” poster they saw back in town. Kylie Rupe stated that it didn’t surprise her to find that the dog survived so long alone in the mountains. She said, “I mean, it’s a Bernese mountain dog, so in its name, it’s a mountain dog.” She was, however, shocked to see that the bite victim was the person who saved the dog.
Pup reunited with owner in time for the holiday
Rupe dialed the phone number on the poster. Thankfully, the pet owner answered. Recounting the call, Rupe shared, “I told her that we had possibly found her dog and that it was injured. She was in the middle of a treatment. She’s been in and out of the hospital, so she was like, ‘I’m leaving right now and I’m going to come find you.'”
Happily, the rescued Bernese Mountain Dog was in fact the one from the poster.
According to Fox, Nova’s owner, Robynne Simons-Sealy, revealed that the dog is 14 months old and is a service dog in training. What’s more, the Bernese Mountain Dog endured two snowstorms and freezing temperatures over the two months she was lost.
Simons-Sealy also thanked the hikers who helped her reunite with her pup just before Thanksgiving.
Despite suffering a broken leg, the dog is now safely resting in her home. She will likely undergo surgery soon.
