A man was hiking on a mountain trail near his new home when he found something unexpected.
On May 14, 2023, Zach Hackett was new to Breckenridge and went to explore the trails on Peak 4, just behind his new apartment.
He heard a “yip” in the woods.
Shortly after, Hackett was carrying Riley.
The 9-year-old Sheltie dog somehow survived 5 weeks in the mountains without proper food or water.
On top of that, the weather was still in wintery conditions in Colorado, with some snow drifts still piled as much as 3 feet deep.
Animal instincts may have kicked in.
He found the dog just off the track. Since Hackett was new to the place, he wandered through the trails and eventually found a small black-and-white dog.
It was skinny and weak, sitting along the downed trees.
“He had no energy when I found him. He knew he was in trouble. He knew he needed to be rescued,” Hackett said in an interview.
“So that little ‘yip’ was the only exertion of energy he had that night. It was a, ‘Hey, save me,'” he added.
The trail going back home was steep.
The terrain was not easy, but Hackett felt he had no choice but to save the dog. So he ventured down 12,000 feet and crossed the Blue River to reach the trailhead.
Hackett added in an interview that the dog was in rough shape. He knew right away that Riley needed to be rescued.
Using a windbreaker, he wrapped Riley and carried him all the way down. The windbreaker’s purpose is to make Riley feel comfortable while going home.
It was a 2-hour trek down.
He was also told that someone might have left the poor dog up the mountains. However, Hackett was still determined to help the dog nonetheless.
“That never would have even crossed my mind. For me, it’s not, ‘Do I save him?’ It’s, ‘How do I do it?'” shared Hackett.
Riley was then reunited with her owner, Mike Krugman. He said it was a miracle that Riley was able to survive in the mountains for weeks.
Krugman said Riley is like the alpha dog of the 6 that he owns. He never thought that the dog would run off too far, as Riley eventually comes back after a stroll in the property.
But Riley was still grieving.
Krugman explained in an interview that the dog was deeply bonded to his wife who passed away in January.
Of their pack of 7 dogs, Riley was the one who was most affected and may still be adjusting, Krugman added.
Days later, Krugman knew that the dog was gone. So he called a local volunteer group and searched for Riley. But weeks had passed and no Riley was found.
The search went cold.
Coincidentally, months after moving into his new place, it was Hackett’s first time trailing the mountains. He found Riley by chance, five weeks after the dog was declared lost.
Krugman was happy Riley survived and thankful that Hackett was there and rescued the dog without a second thought.
Learn more about Riley’s incredible adventure home in the video below!
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