A trail camera in Colorado caught a missing dog alive and apparently healthy after 11 months alone in the wild following an avalanche that separated the dog from its owner.
Jacob Dalbey identified his dog Ullr, a Border Collie Rottweiler mix, from photos captured on Saturday and Sunday by one of the trail cameras set up by a team of canine tracking experts he employed.
“After 341 days, 11 months to the day of setting up trail cameras/food and moving them around in hopes of luring Ullr into one to finally get confirmation of what I have known all along, it has happened,” Dalbey shared the positive news Thursday on his GoFundMe page.
“To all of you, friends and supporters of Ullr (and me), I want to thank you so much. Knowing you believe in us really means a lot, even when I don’t say it. It has been extremely difficult to say the least. Your support has made it possible to keep searching for Ullr over the last 11+ months,” Dalbey added.
Plans are now in place to bring Ullr home safely, but until Dalbey reunites with his loyal companion, he asks anyone in the area to keep reporting pawprints, barking, or any sightings of Ullr.
Dalbey was separated from his dog on March 17. He was caught in an avalanche near Chair Mountain while backcountry skiing with two friends, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
Dalbey was left seriously injured and hospitalized. His friend was killed in the accident. Rescuers found dog tracks exiting the avalanche debris, indicating Ullr had survived and fled the area.
“I was carried 2,500 feet and fully buried with my right arm sticking out of the snow,” Dalbey told NBC affiliate station KUSA about the incident. “I was able to clear my airway immediately and then in the process dig myself out over three-plus hours with a broken hand and frostbit fingers.”
Dalbey’s friend created a GoFundMe to raise money for hiring a professional canine tracker. Dalbey is asking the public to continue contributing to the page until Ullr is officially home.