A pet can be like a member of the family, so it’s understandable that losing a dog would be devastating. Which is why when Carole and Verne King’s dog went missing, they dedicated their entire lives to finding her.
The Kings were on vacation and staying at a pet-friendly hotel in Kalispell, Montana, when a storm scared their 7-year-old border collie, Katie, causing her to run out of an unlatched door while the couple was out to dinner on July 20. They searched tirelessly for their beloved dog for 37 days, putting up flyers, posting to social media and going door-to-door.
When their original efforts yielded no results, they doubled down, organizing rescue teams and using night vision goggles. Carole even quit her job as a postal carrier in order to focus all her time and energy on finding Katie.
Finally, after 57 days, the dog was spotted. When Carole was reunited with Katie, she was overjoyed. Although the dog was dehydrated and had lost a significant amount of weight, she was otherwise unharmed.
The couple had created a Facebook group dedicated to finding their beloved bet, and it’s now named Katie IS Home! In fact, on Sept. 22, Denice Rutherford posted this happy photo of Katie, reunited with her humans:
“I think it was the best decision I ever made to get my dog back…I just know that she was out there looking for me, and I wasn’t going to give up. No matter what,” Carole King told “Good Morning America.”
During the period when Katie was missing, Carole made friends with some of the locals, who provided her support when she was down.
“There were days I was just crying because I couldn’t find my dog, and then some stranger from Kalispell texted me saying ‘hey,’ talking to me, encouraging words,” she told NBC Montana.
We’re so glad that this story has a happy ending!
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for other great tips and ideas to make the most out of life.
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