A blind black Labrador who wandered from her home in Alaska last month was returned to her owner, according to Fox News.
Madera is an 11-year-old Lab owned by Ed Davis, and she wandered away on Feb. 6 from her home in Ester when temperatures were -40 Fahrenheit, Fox News said. The dog usually returns after heading out for a potty break, but on that night she did not return.
I know it’s hard for some people to imagine letting a dog out to go potty without a leash, but I did the same many, many times with my dog Ace when I lived in Fargo, N.D.
I’d open the back door, and he’d run out without a leash, quickly pee, and then run back in. Temps were never 40 below but they were often 10 or 15 below.
From Fox News:
“My best hope was to walk those trails and look for a track that might be hers,” he [Ed Davis] said. “My best hope was to find a frozen dog.”
A man riding a bike found Madera in the woods last week, a half-mile from Davis’ house. Madera let out a whine when she heard a bell the cyclist rang.
The man who rescued her, Constantine Khrulev, asked for the $100 reward money to go to the Fairbanks Animal Shelter Fund. Davis was so impressed by the gesture that he increased the donation to $250.
Madera, who is completely blind due to an autoimmune disease, lost 14 pounds while she was missing, according to the article. Other than that, she was healthy.
Ester is located just west of Fairbanks.
Image from Fox News & The Associated Press
Rebekah
Monday 2nd of March 2015
Wow. I cannot imagine how worried that family must have been. So glad she made it home safely!
Lindsay Stordahl
Tuesday 3rd of March 2015
Me too!