Dog found beside dead hiker survived off chipmunks and critters for seven weeks

16 November 2023 , 09:38

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Finney was found alive beside her owner Rich Moore who had died while trekking up Blackhead Peak in Colorado (Image: Facebook)

A Jack Russell terrier pooch was miraculously found alive beside its dead hiker owner who went missing in August.

Rich Moore, 71, attempted to climb up a 12,500-foot mountain in Colorado on August 19 but never returned home. Search-and-rescue teams dropped in by helicopter worked tirelessly to try and locate Rich in forests just below the summit of Blackhead Peak.

Crews spent more than 2,000 hours looking for Rich in forests and toward the trailhead, where they found his car, but he could not be located. However, on October 30, a hunter stumbled across Rich's body more than two miles east of the summit in the San Juan mountains - along with his Jack Russell terrier, Finney.

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Rich, who lived in Pagosa Springs, was found dead but his pet dog was alive and by his side, seemingly protecting his corpse. Taos Search and Rescue member Delinda Vanne-Brightyn, who responded to the initial hunt with her search dog, believes Finney likely relied on her primal canine instincts to survive.

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Underground streams gave the dog a water source and the pooch probably hunted small creatures like field mice or chipmunks for food, Delinda said in a Facebook post. Certified dog behaviorist and trainer Russell Hartstein suggested Finney's apparent loyalty to her owner may have kept him alive. He said it's common for dogs to stick by their masters to the very end.

A hunter found Rich Moore's body on October 30 (Facebook)

Search and rescue teams had searched tirelessly to try and locate Rich and Finney (Facebook)

“They become loyal to the death a lot of times,” Russell said, according to CNN. The dog specialist also confirmed Delinda's hunches, saying Jack Russell terriers are born to survive by hunting and eating rodents and other small animals.

Authorities believe 14-year-old Finney spent around seven weeks by Rich's side. When the hunter discovered his corpse, Finney was taken to the vet for treatment. The doctor's report seemingly matches with Delinda's belief as the pooch lost about half her body weight but was still in decent shape.

After examination and treatment at a local animal hospital, Finney has now been reunited with her family. Rich's cause of death is currently unknown, but the Archuleta County Sheriff's Office does not suspect a crime has been committed.

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Sam Truelove