Family Dog Comes Home After 53 Days In Nevada Desert

Dooley the Shetland sheepdog could probably teach survivalists a thing or two about desert living. That’s because Dooley recently went missing in the Nevada desert and then managed to survive for 53 days without the assistance of his owners.

Owner Barbara Bagley was severely injured and her husband and a second dog were killed during a Dec. 27 car accident in which Dooley ran from the scene of the accident.

While a search for the dog was eventually organized it was called off on Jan. 6 when Mr. Bagley passed away from injuries he sustained during the accident. Later on remains of a dog were found near the interstate and it was believed Dooley had died.

Even with remains discovered and the search called off Mrs. Bagley still believed her beloved Shetland sheepdog was alive and she never gave up hope after at least one witnessed spotted him near the scene of the accident three weeks later and then once more in the middle of February.

Eventually searchers found a dog that looked like Dooley. The dog had dropped from 44 pounds to 20 pounds but was unmistakably the same animal who had run away from the accident two months earlier.

When she saw Dooley she said:

‘My beautiful boy, my beautiful boy, you’re home. Oh, boy, all of us cried. It’s a message from my husband who was looking out for him. … He’s the physical and mental affection that I need to recover.”

Are you surprised by Dooley’s ability to stay alive in the Nevada Desert despite his domestication?