NORRIS — An enjoyable Yellowstone visit turned into five weeks of waiting and worry for one pet owner.
A family’s dog got out of an open cabin door, and it took 35 days for the Jack Russell terrier, Luna, to be reunited with her family.
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Katie Boucher runs the Norris Ark Training and Recovery Center in Norris. She saw the news about Luna being loose in the Canyon area of Yellowstone, and she offered to help.
“I was aware of it, and so when her parents, her family had to leave the park, I left a comment if they needed help to contact me.”They did, and for the next five weeks, Boucher was working to bring Luna home.
Boucher says she wasn’t too worried about Luna being attacked by a park predator.
“There were so many places she could hide. She could duck and run and cover the entire time, and I’m sure she did,” Boucher said.
Boucher says she was more worried about Luna and the weather, with the park soon closing in preparation for the winter season.
Boucher says Luna is a pet, but once she got out of the cabin, she reverted to her wild animal instincts for survival, making it harder to catch her.
“That is when it becomes harder. They’re not going to come to you. Calling them is going to chase them away. Saying their name is going to chase them away. They are just completely scared at that point,” she said.
Boucher says capturing an animal in that state requires calm and patience, which can be challenging for an anxious owner who has been missing their pet.
“If they get too excited, it can actually scare their pet away. So we want to make sure they don’t yell out in excitement or glee or all of the emotions that they are certainly feeling and that they don’t reach out and grab the dog. They have to wait until the dog comes to them and basically catches them," she said.
Thirty-five days after Luna got out of the cabin, she entered a kennel full of her owner’s clothes, inside a special trap. Boucher was able to contact the owner, who was present at that time.
She says the reunion was, as she put it, absolute joy.
“Luna got comfortable with her momma right away. She had things to say to her. Boy, she told her all kinds of stuff, and I’m not sure all of them were compliments,” Boucher said.
Because of that reunion, Boucher says emotionally, Luna will recover pretty fast, but physically she will take more time.
When it comes to planning a trip to a place like Yellowstone National Park, Boucher's advice is simple.
“Don’t take your pets to Yellowstone Park. I don’t care if it’s a dog, cat, rabbit or an owl. I don’t care. Don’t take your pets to the park.”
