When I read this story, my heart was in my throat the whole time. Even though the title told me the dog survived, I couldn't help but think how scared this dog must have been and how absolutely devastated the family was. This is an amazing story of Mazzy Star, a 15-year-old, deaf and three-legged Husky.
Mazzy Star was camping with her family, The Clydes (mom, dad, 2 young boys and one 18-month old) and her 2 other K9 housemates in a campsite in Alaska's Russian River area. The three dogs all had kennels, but when the family woke up in the morning, Mazzy was gone. The search was on. Mazzy's family and the campground employees all went searching through the brush-filled woods. Some even ventured down a 100-foot ravine to search the river bank.
The night before Mazzy went missing, there were Black Bears trashing tents throughout the site and Grizzly's with their cubs wondering the river banks. In other words, there were a lot of bears!
After a week of searching, the family had no choice but to give up and go home. Jobs and school were waiting for them and everyone was sure, Mazzy did not survive. It was a heartbreaking decision. "Leaving a dog who you think had a horrible ending, who was expecting you to save her somehow, was just terrible," Karen (Clyde) told the Dispatch. "I just had to say bye to her and realize that I wasn't going to see her. Chances are she'd been eaten. I had this horrible feeling in my stomach the whole way."
One day after the family was home, they received a call that Mazzy Star was found! Mr. Clyde drove 15 hours straight to go get their beloved pet. "When I got out of the truck she hopped right over and looked at me with 'Wow, I am safe now' eyes," he told the Dispatch. "You could tell she had been giving it her all. It seemed like she hadn't stopped to rest the whole time she had been gone."
Mazzy was dirty, tired, had lost a few pounds and lost a bit of fur on her tail, but she was alive. Somehow she survived this experience.
It is an amazing story with a very happy ending. I wish there was a video camera attached to Mazzy Star, think of what a great movie or documentary this would make. I'm sure she had quite the adventure. I am so happy for her and her family that they were all reunited safe and sound.
