Her family had been told she was probably dead. Five weeks later, Luna was curled up in a trap, underweight but very much alive.
Luna, a 10-year-old white Jack Russell terrier and chihuahua mix with pointy ears and a gray collar, was caught on Wednesday, Oct. 14, more than a month after she vanished in Yellowstone National Park, the Associated Press reported.
How She Got Lost
Luna's family, visiting from California, left her in their cabin with a "Do Not Disturb" sign on Sept. 10 while they went exploring. They believe a housekeeper accidentally opened the door. Luna bolted, and staff chased her for more than two hours without catching her.
The family was told she had likely been killed, possibly by a coyote.
A Small Dog in a Big Park
Days later, they learned Luna had been spotted. Sightings came in from all over: crossing intersections, wandering through employee housing and even slipping into lodges. She seemed to be retracing the family's route from the day before she disappeared. Every time someone chased her, she ran deeper into the park.
Volunteer Katie Boucher, president of the Norris Ark Training and Recovery Center in Norris, Montana, led the search, and local store owner Marie Jaskula posted lookout signs at every park entrance. Jaskula pleaded with people not to chase the dog.
The Trick That Worked
Instead of food, which could have drawn bears and other wildlife, volunteers baited a live trap with scraps of the family's T-shirt and pillowcase, relying on Luna's nose for a familiar smell.
It worked. Boucher and one of Luna's owners found her in the trap, and the owner held her during a vet exam that afternoon. Boucher said Luna was underweight, as expected, but alert and in good spirits, and admitted she cried all the way back from the park.