JACKSON, Wyo. — After going missing for eight days, Oliver, a black and white pit bull/Lab mix, was recovered by his owner on Sunday, Sept. 14 around 10 a.m.
Oliver went missing from his yard in the W. Hansen/Flat Creek area, near the rodeo grounds and Karns Meadow, on the evening of Saturday, Sept. 6.
Alana Alfrey, Oliver’s owner, told Buckrail that two girls saw a loose dog on Broadway Ave., near the Virginian Lodge and the First Interstate Bank, around 9:32 a.m. on Sunday. After recognizing the dog from photos, one of the girls called Alfrey. According to the girls’ reported sighting, Oliver was on Broadway Ave. for a couple of minutes before running up the hillside into the neighborhood. One of the girls followed the dog, but he took off farther up the hill.
Upon arriving on the scene, Alfrey spoke to a man named Dennis who lives in the neighborhood. He pointed out the direction in which the dog had gone. After Alfrey searched for about 30 minutes, Oliver came running out of the brush.
Alfrey has no information about the dog’s first five days out of the house, but learned that from Friday through Sunday, he joined Dennis on daily walks.
“A very nice man named Dennis had seen Oliver come down from the hillside and join him and his dog on their daily morning walk along the trail behind the houses,” Alfrey said. “Afterward, Oliver would head back up toward the hillside, somewhere near the property line. Dennis hadn’t realized that Oliver was missing from his home.”
Alfrey shared that Oliver was exhausted, hungry and “very stinky from getting sprayed by a skunk at some point.” He also lost some weight and gained a few abrasions on his muzzle and paws, but is “otherwise in good shape.”
“My roommates and I are beyond happy to have him back home,” Alfrey said. “Our house finally feels full again. We wish that he could talk so we could learn how he got out and what adventures he has been on. We feel incredibly lucky that Oliver eventually found someone he trusted enough to stay close to, and that trust ultimately led to him being found.”
Alfrey and her roommates extend their gratitude to everyone who helped in the search for Oliver, whether it was online or on foot. They appreciate those who kept him in their thoughts.
“I feel incredibly blessed to live in a community where people genuinely care — not just about each other, but about our pets too — and are willing to go above and beyond to show up and support one another,” Alfrey said.
