This is next-level loyalty and next-level heartbreaking.
On August 19th, Rich Moore, 71, of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, left his home with his dog for a Blackhead Peak hike but never returned home. Upon news of Moore not returning home, Taos Seach and Rescue inserted helicopters near the mountain peak and searched through the trees down to the trailhead, where they found his car.
The New York Post reported that after over 2,000 hours of searching for Moore, they deemed him a missing person. That is until October 30th, when a local hunter found his body over two miles east of the mountain’s summit. Standing next to the corpse was Moore’s Jack Russell Terrier, Finny.
Finny somehow survived for two months since Moore’s death, remaining by his owner’s side. The white terrier was transported to a local veterinary office after the discovery and has since been reunited with family.
While the discovery of Finny and Moore’s body provides some closure for the family, many are questioning why the search party was unable to find Moore after the extensive hours spent combing through the mountainside. Taos Search and Rescue member Delinda Vanne-Brightyn, who was a vital part of the search party along with her search dog, noted:
“It was so steep, we were inserted in by a helicopter. He was found 2.5 miles East of the mountaintop beneath where we were inserted.”
Moore’s family notes in the statement made by TSR that they are:
“Glad they were able to gain some closure, as well as bring their dog back home.”
While the story is heartbreaking yet heartwarming in the same breath, many readers took to Fox News’s comments, sharing how Finny’s story brought them to tears, even recognizing the dog as a hero.
“If that does not bring tears to your eyes. As a dog trainer for almost 50 years, this reinforces the special love and unconditional bond we create with these incredible animals when some of these special bonds are established, in some instances, that dog will NEVER leave our side. Proof.”
