Dog News

Small Dog Survives 16 Days Lost in Woods

by Katherine

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The Talberts are happy to have their 17-pound dachshund-chihuahua mix dog, named Hailey, back home. The four-year-old pet went missing for 16 days in a wooded area of Boise, Idaho, after her owners made a stop near Smiths Ferry on Sept.12, 2014, and the little dog escaped their vehicle.

Worried sick for their pet, the Talberts posted signs and kept coming back to the area to leave food and call out their dog’s name, but day after day, they returned home empty handed.

Hailey. Photo Credit: Zach Stotland/KTVB
Hailey. Photo Credit: Zach Stotland/KTVB

 

“It was kind of a rollercoaster: You’d go up there thinking you might find her that day, and you’d come back devastated,” Alyssa Talbert said.

Area residents joined the search efforts and called the family whenever Hailey was spotted, it was thanks to two tips that the Talberts reunited with their lost and elusive dog.

Hailey was found hiding behind a tree more than two weeks after she went missing. The dog was five pounds lighter and had some scratches on her body, but she was in overall good health.

The Talberts say the reunion was only made possible thanks to caring strangers willing to lend a hand.

“The fact that someone could just bring our dog back that we’ve had for years – it makes you realize how many good people are out there,” Talbert said.