Loyal dog found alive next to the remains of his owner, a hiker who went missing months ago: 'It just brings us all to tears'

A Jack Russell terrier proved to be one Colorado man's best friend after the dog was found alive next to the remains of his owner, who had died during a rigorous hike.

On August 19, 71-year-old Rich Moore of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, decided to undertake Blackhead Peak, the summit of which stands at a staggering 12,500 feet, in the San Juan Mountains. Moore grabbed his trusty four-legged friend, Finney, and together they began the grueling hike.

It was the last time anyone heard from Moore. Search and rescue teams scoured the area several times, even using a helicopter to drop team members in difficult areas to find Moore and Finney. In all, various agencies spent almost 2,000 hours looking for the lost pair to no avail.

However, on October 30, the Archuleta County Sheriff's Office received a call from a hunter who had discovered a white dog standing next to human remains. The following day, members of the sheriff's office, the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, and Upper San Juan Search and Rescue flew to the area and positively identified the remains as Moore.

Finney, though extremely emaciated, was found alive next to his deceased owner. Officials believe he survived by drinking water from underground streams and eating small animals such as chipmunks and field mice.

After the rescue, Finney was taken to a local veterinarian for treatment. He has since been reunited with his other owners.

Delinda Vanne-Brightyn of Taos Search and Rescue, which conducted the initial search for Moore, was saddened to hear of Moore's death but was moved by Finney's devotion. "It just brings us all to tears, the loyalty of that dog," she said.

Vanne-Brightyn also provided some information that could explain why Moore was not found sooner. Vanne-Brightyn and other members of TSAR had begun their search at Blackhead summit and traveled westward to where Moore had parked his car. However, Moore's body was found in the Lower Blanco drainage basin on the east side of the mountain.

"[It] defied all of our lost-person behavior that he went over the other side of the mountain," she said.

Archuleta County Coroner Bradley Hunt determined that Moore died of "exposure/hypothermia," though he could not determine when the death had occurred. Foul play is not suspected in the case.

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