Dog who survived 72 days in mountains after owner’s death regains weight, returns to hiking trails

A loyal dog who survived more than ten weeks with her owner, who died of hypothermia while hiking in the Colorado mountains, has regained most of the weight she lost during her ordeal and is back on track. path, the family said Thursday.

Rich Moore, 71, of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, set out with his Jack Russell terrier named Finney to climb Blackhead Peak on August 19, but did not return home. A days-long search between the peak and his vehicle was unsuccessful.

A hunter found his body and a very protective Finney on October 30 in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. Finney had lost about half her body weight and her ribs were visible, officials said.

Less than three weeks later, “Finney is doing well,” Moore’s wife, Dana Holby, told The Associated Press on Thursday. “She has almost all her weight back and her strength is almost where it was. She is the wonder dog.”

She has an injury to her snout that could leave a scar, Holby said.

“She is three now, very affectionate and doesn’t want to let me out of her sight,” said Holby. “Her ravenous appetite has calmed down, but initially she couldn’t get enough to eat and wanted to eat all day and night.”

Finney’s survival story has made her famous on the hiking trails around Pagosa Springs, Holby said.

“People say, ‘Is that Finney?’” to which Holby enthusiastically responds, “Yes!”

“She is such a comfort to me and a wonderful companion on walks,” covering 4 to 5 miles a day, Holby said.

“I know she was with Rich until the end and somehow that should be a comfort. I don’t know how she did it, but she was there when he needed her,” Holby said.