Missing dog rescued after 15 days in the desert

BOISE (WKTI) — The community was on a mission: find Apollo. Apollo, a white terrier mix ran away after a rollover accident on I-84 near the Stage Stop in Boise just after Christmas.

Police officials responding to the accident called officers with the Idaho Humane Society to assist with the search and rescue — but Apollo had vanished.

The officers knew it wasn’t going to be an easy task, because Apollo was white and fresh snow had fallen.

“IHS staff frequently visited the site of the accident, putting out fresh food and water. They also worked with community members at the Stage Stop and surrounding area to keep a vigilant watch for the dog,” said Humane Society spokesperson Kristine Schellhaas.

“Hope was never lost in the search for Apollo; for weeks, several Humane Society officers spent their days off driving their personal vehicles around the area in hopes of rescuing the dog,” she added.

“I went out into the desert looking for Apollo, to see if I could locate any tracks,” said Humane Society Officer Staley. “A buddy of mine helped by the hiking around the area — and several other officers with four wheelers were looking for Apollo on their days off as well.”

Then the call came that Apollo may have been spotted!

“I looked out the window and saw him snooping around,” said the David Banks, a caretaker at the Double Tapp Range.

Banks called the IHS and Humane officers arrived at the scene — where they successfully rescued Apollo and brought him to the IHS Veterinary Medical Center for veterinary care.

“Miraculously, Apollo had survived 15 days alone in the desert through arduous conditions,” Schellhaas said.

This wasn’t the first time the caretakers at the Double Tapp Range had located a dog. A red Doberman named Tallie had been out in the area several weeks after getting out of the Stage Stop last year. The dog reportedly jumped out of the vehicle when the owner’s back was turned, but was reunited after Humane Society officials located and returned the animal thanks to it being microchipped. The owners were happy to get her back.

Apollo was reunited with his family Tuesday.

This article was originally published by KWTI. It is used here with permission.