Dog News

Dog Reunited with Owners after 22 Days Lost in Oregon

by Katherine

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On July 4, 2014, Lori Davis and Patrick Milligan went for a one-day hike near the Sevenmile Horse Camp area in Oregon, with Maddison, their ten-year-old bull mastiff. However, the dog separated from her owners and got lost in the wilderness for 22 days. Thanks to a group of hikers and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office search and rescue team, Maddison was found and reunited with her owners.

Photo Credit: Rebecca Heuberger
Photo Credit: Rebecca Heuberger

Three weeks after going missing, the lost pet was found by chance when a group of hikers near Cascadia area in Linn County stumbled upon her. The dog was hungry and thirsty and the hikers decided to stay with the pet while authorities were called to assist in the rescue.

The Sheriff’s Office at first though the lost individual was a person, but when they arrived, another group of hikers informed them the one lost was a dog and a group of concerned animal lovers had stay behind with the pet.

According to OregonLive.com, SAR Deputy Lisa Chase, remembered seeing a poster for Maddison and immediately knew the lost dog had been out there fending for herself for more than 20 days.

It was close to 8:00 p.m. when the rangers learned about the hikers and the dog. If the dog was all alone in the wilderness, the rescue team would have waited until daylight the following day to search the area and attempt a rescue, but because people were now involved, and no one knew how well prepared the hikers were to face the elements overnight, the rescue team decided to begin their search mission that same night.

Maddison and her hiker friends, Brian Floro, Julie Foubert, Rebecca Heuberger, and Scott Foubert, were found around 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 27, 2014. Everyone was doing well, including Maddison, who had eaten a few granola bars and some dog food.

The search and rescue team decided to wait for sunlight around 6:30 a.m. to make the trek back, and around 9:45 that same morning, Maddison was back in the arms of her grateful owners.