Dog missing a month in Yellowstone is caught in trap and reunited with owners

Luna, a 10-year-old Jack Russell terrier, was caught in a live trap in Yellowstone National Park on Wednesday and reunited with her California owners after more than a month on the loose, according to ABC News, The Guardian and The Seattle Times. The New York Post gave the date as October 14. Yellowstone spokesperson Linda Veress confirmed that the dog loose in the Canyon Village area had been captured and was alive and well. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]

Katie Boucher, the volunteer leading the rescue effort and a spokesperson for the owners, said she and one of the owners found Luna in the trap, which was baited with scraps from a T-shirt and pillowcase belonging to the family. The Guardian said Boucher found the dog. Luna was taken to a veterinarian. "She's underweight, but that's to be expected. She's alert and in good spirits," Boucher said. The New York Times reported that Luna lost half her weight but was otherwise healthy. Newsweek identified Boucher as president of the Montana-based Norris Ark Training and Recovery Center, and the New York Post described that group as the nonprofit animal rescue leading the search. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]

Luna escaped on September 10. The family had left her in their cabin with a "Do Not Disturb" sign while they explored the park. ABC News and The Seattle Times said the family believes a housekeeping staffer accidentally opened a door. Boucher said staff then chased the dog around that area for more than two hours before the owners returned and found her missing. Newsweek quoted Todd Walton, director of marketing and sales at Yellowstone National Park Lodges, as telling SFGate that staff had entered to deliver towels the family requested, and that pets were not permitted to be left unattended, so employees did not expect a dog to be inside. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]

Luna was spotted crossing intersections, strolling through employee housing and entering lodges through automatic doors in a park that is home to grizzly bears, wolves and other predators. Boucher said the dog spent her first year on the streets before being adopted and showed strong survival instincts. Based on sightings, Boucher said, Luna retraced her family's steps from the day before she was lost. The New York Times reported sightings almost every day from volunteer searchers, visitors and staff. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]

The Guardian reported that the family was told Luna had probably died, possibly killed by a coyote. Newsweek reported that the owners stayed in Yellowstone for another week before returning to California, and contacted Boucher when sightings continued. According to the New York Post, the search was a race against winter closures: the rescue team's special National Park Service permit was due to expire on October 31, with equipment to be removed by then, and roads and campgrounds were due to close for the winter. [ 3 , 4 , 7 ]