Appalachian Trail (North Carolina) – A Canadian woman’s senior dog vanished during a hike on the Appalachian trail between Walnut Mountain Shelter and Lemon Gap. The 13-year-old Labrador retriever mix, Sadie, disappeared on March 18 and her owner, Micki Honkanen, has been desperately searching the area ever since.
As reported by MSN News, Honkanen immediately began calling for her companion after she vanished, and she enlisted the help of a friend to scour the area. But her efforts have been fruitless.
She tells the news agency:
“I called my friend, and the two of us together spent 40-plus hours just incrementally grid searching the woods of the entire mountain. We hired a thermal drone to search that mountain, as well.”
Honkanen has to return to Canada at the end of June because of her travel visa. She said:
“The thought of like leaving the country and just leaving her in the woods is just, I can’t wrap my head around it right now.”
(Screen grabs via WLOS News)
Help Put Animal Abusers Away! Sign A Petition To Fight For Animal Justice.
National Animal News Official Merchandise
Do people really believe senior dogs like hiking and jogging for miles? Your dog will die trying it’s best to keep up with you. Poor thing was probably exhausted, overheated and laid down to rest somewhere and it was apparently off leash. And she made the poor dog carry additional weight in a backpack. Exercise is good for dogs but senior dogs don’t need to be dragged out into the woods and hiking for miles. Let your senior dogs enjoy a life of relaxation and comfort. I do hope she finds her dog safe and learns a valuable lesson.