Dog Found (and saved): Mt. Bierstadt!

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NinjaKatie
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Re: Dog Found: Mt. Bierstadt!

Post by NinjaKatie »

I have only hiked one 14ner and it took two attempts to make it. It was brutal for an inexperienced hiker. I really don't have the experience to have the honor of posting here, based on my background. But, I will post, regardless. I sent a tip into 9News about the story. I felt, if the dog couldn't be rescued yesterday, at least they might be able to help wake up the organizations who could help. I also hoped it would help the owner, to have the opportunity to know his/her dog was still alive and others were taking on the responsibility of saving her. Initially, I could not find any information about this dog, but knew of her plight from the talking "bacon" dog, Clark G. Griswald. I'm a dog lover and a fan of his on Facebook. If SO many other people could figure out a way to make it public that your dog was stuck and injured on a mountain, why didn't you? I have two dogs and I would never leave my dogs. I know how crowded these hikes can be, one poster said he saw you. Did you not think to ask others to help while you were still with your dog? Others certainly stopped to help an abondoned dog, why would they not risk helping when they were on the mountain and you were still there to tell them your story? It's easy for us to say what we would have done if we were in your situation, but it's difficult to understand your lack of fortitude in rescuing the dog you LOVE so much, when she was right where you left her, waiting for YOU to return. I also know, your dog is very confused and scared and most certainly would, want you to come get her and take her home. I'm torn here. There were people who didn't raise your sweet dog from a puppy, who gave up a day in their lives, risked their own well being to rescue a dog without a name. You have friends coming on here and sticking up for you, could your friends not find friends to help get your dog out? I had four friends offer to go help and we all probably would have died trying to get your dog out, but we would have TRIED. Missy, most certainly, wants you to come get her. I'm still not certain that would be the best thing for her. All her rescuers deserve to be the deciding factor in whether or not you're worthy of a return of such love and devotion.
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Dave B
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Re: Dog Found: Mt. Bierstadt!

Post by Dave B »

An acceptable excuse for leaving a dog without food or shelter at 13+ thousand feet on a ridgeline in the Colorado mountains has not been offered by the dogs owner nor his friends.

Some people do not deserve the responsibility of dog ownership.

Those who made the effort to go find Missy should have more say in the future of the dog's life than the person who paid for her but is unwilling to sacrifice comfort to protect her.
Make wilderness less accessible.
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SolarAlex
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Re: Dog Found: Mt. Bierstadt! - MISSY GIRL help ger her home

Post by SolarAlex »

yeah it really sounds like he exhausted all his options.

his feet were so blistered for 8 days he couldnt go look? give me a break. no posters, no signs at the trailhead? i guess guanella pass is over 40 miles from denver and driving with blisters is just too painful. printing signs would have been too much work, not too mention the cost of ink. even posting on 14ers was too much work.

now he wants to swoop in and take his dog back, after doing precisely nothing to get her off the mountain. he should know that yesterday would have been his dogs last day on this earth, she wouldnt have survived the snow wind and cold yesterday.
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AndYouSeeMe
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Re: Dog Found: Mt. Bierstadt!

Post by AndYouSeeMe »

21kmiller,

You seem to be conveniently leaving out the explanation as to why Anthony left the dog up there for over a week, left for dead. I have had some bad blisters but wow, those things must have been huge for them to affect his mental state as well.

I pray Missy stays with one of the rescuers and that we all get to meet her at the Fall Gathering. I do not wish for Anthony to get into any legal trouble here, the lesson has been learned, but he does not deserve to get that dog back.
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Re: Dog Found: Mt. Bierstadt!

Post by evepin »

Missy might have been injured, lost and hungry, but one of the reasons she stayed on the boulder field was she waiting for her owner to return for her.
Recently I saw a story of a lost dog that found her way back to the trailhead where her owners had parked before the hike. Several people tried to corner her,
but she wouldn't come close. Other hikers left food and water for her. A week later her owners returned to the trailhead and found her waiting there patiently.
Dogs have a faith and loyalty that cannot be matched anywhere on earth, which makes Missy's story even more heartbreaking. She would have waited there
for her owner to return until her last breath. As someone posted, he had already moved on with his life - while she was still waiting for him to come find her. She deserves someone who would go back to find her and bring her home safely.
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Re: Dog Found: Mt. Bierstadt!

Post by 21kmiller »

It is amazing to see everyones view point on this topic! Some are very angry and and some are very understanding... While I understand both sides of the issue, I think its eady for people to say that "he just left her" when they themselves were not in that particular sitaution to even have to make a decision like that. I have mentioned that I have known Anthony for a very long time and I know that he would not just leave her without trying, yes he may have posted pictures or tried other avenues but just becuase he didnt doesnt mean that he is not a good owner, it simply means he just didnt think of that after the failed attempts of trying to contact search and rescue for help and browing news sites everyday to see if someone found her. Anthony has come forward admitting the faults in the situation dont you think we has humans can forgive, understand and respect that he has come foward?! I can guarentee that Anthony will think twice about taking her on another 14er simply because of this sitation, we live and learn as humans and we all make mistakes at least he is able to admit the wrong and try to get his sweet Missy Girl Back... I can help in any way possible and will validate anything I have said here as well as in person if need be, I have left my phone number for anyone who wants to help me re-unite Missy with Anthony and her family... I am pleading wtih everyone here to please try and put yourself in that situation, from the outside looking in and know in your heart that Anthony would NOT just leave her unless it was a life or death situationf or himself... I am able and willing to do whatever it takes to get these 2 re-united I can help validate his ownership from the number of years spent together as well as additional paperwork if needed. Please from one dog owner to antoher lets get these 2 back together! 303-501-6113 - Kristen
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Navigaiter
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Re: Dog Found: Mt. Bierstadt!

Post by Navigaiter »

It truly is a miracle!! Lets continue the miracle to a purely happy ending and re-uniting Missy with Anthony!! Please and thank you!! =)
21kmiller, you calling this a miracle completely degrades the accomplishments of several human beings who used their own judgement and physical ability to bring Missy back. The only miracle we can hope for in this is that Missy is allowed to stay with a more caring human.
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AndYouSeeMe
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Re: Dog Found: Mt. Bierstadt!

Post by AndYouSeeMe »

Still no explanation of why 8 days with no action on his part other than a call to SAR back on the 5th. Must have been too busy moving on with his life while Missy sat up there. I'm sorry, but 'not thinking about posting flyers at the TH' is a joke.
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SolarAlex
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Re: Dog Found: Mt. Bierstadt!

Post by SolarAlex »

the fact this dude left his dog to die while making zero effort to save her tells me everything i need to know about him.
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AndYouSeeMe
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Re: Dog Found: Mt. Bierstadt!

Post by AndYouSeeMe »

Still no explanation of why 8 days with no action on his part other than a call to SAR back on the 5th. Must have been too busy moving on with his life while Missy sat up there. I'm sorry, but 'not thinking about posting flyers at the TH' is a joke. No sympathy for anyone but Missy here. 21kmiller, are you telling me if this exact story with all the same holes in it involved someone other than your friend, that you would advocate the dog being returned?
21kmiller
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Re: Dog Found: Mt. Bierstadt!

Post by 21kmiller »

To the person who says I am leaving out the reason why Anthony left her there... He was distraught from the hike, tired, weak and injured with large blisters and could barely walk... for a person that could barely walk, caught in a storm and not thinking clearly I think he did what he had to do under those circumstances. There is nothing to be left out of the story other than it was simply a bad trip, with some bad decisions and a huge learningn experience for all. I pray that Missy is re-united with him becuase I know without a doubt the love Anthony and Missy share... she stayed in one spot becuase dogs have a better survival instinct than humans and I guarentee she was to hurt to climb down herself otherwise she would have been able to make it down with Anthony. There are a lot of people that do far worse things to animals and their pets yet we are going to sit here and deprive him of seeing his dog? That doesnt make sense... I know and everyone here should know that making a decision like would not be easy.. they have hiked 6 other 14ers together and all of them were successful!! So please lets try to focus on the mere fact that Missy is alive, Anthony has come forward admitting where his faults were, lets respect that and do the right thing to get these 2 back together. Please and thank you.
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screeman57
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Re: Dog Found: Mt. Bierstadt!

Post by screeman57 »

Honest question: Who's decision is it whether the owner gets the dog back? Is there anyone out there with legal experience in this area?

My fear is that the dog will go back to aortalani14 without question.

Appalling.
“To be is to do”—Socrates.
“To do is to be”—Jean-Paul Sartre.
“Do be do be do”—Frank Sinatra.
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