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When tragedy struck the Gaillard family during a ski trip outside of Billings, Montana, there was at least one bright spot in the days that followed. Their beloved pet Corgi, Ole, believed to have been buried in the avalanche along with his owner, dug his way out of the snow and returned to the hotel where the family had been staying four days prior. Read this article from LifeWithDogs.tv to learn more about the courageous corgi and how he survived a Montana avalanche.
Courageous Corgi Survived Montana Avalanche
When a sliding wall of snow overtook a Montana family during a Saturday ski trip, it was assumed that the family pet perished in the avalanche – until he was found four days later, exhausted and laying on the doorstep of the family’s hotel room.
The tired, hungry dog was first spotted by Alpine Motel owner Robert Weinstein, who was shocked to find ‘Ole’ waiting patiently for his master to return.
“I just saw it outside sitting by the room, which is pretty amazing,” he said. Weinstein fed the weary canine before making a few phone calls to confirm its identity.
“I wasn’t 100 percent sure because I’d only seen it once or twice,” he said.
Ole was with his family when the avalanche occurred near Hayden Creek, just southeast of Billings. His master, Dave Gaillard, 44, of Bozeman, died when he became trapped under 12 to 14 feet of tightly packed snow. When he was not found afterward, his family assumed that Ole had been buried alive, and suffocated.
If he was buried, the resilient little dog would have had into dig his way out from under the crushing snowpack before traversing four miles of rough terrain in freezing temperatures in order to make his way back to the Alpine Motel.
“The family is super excited,” said Mark Staples, of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center, which investigated the incident. “It’s one bright spot for them.”
Cooke City businessman Bill Whittle volunteered to drive Ole back to his family on Wednesday, and said Ole was in good spirits despite his ordeal.
“We needed this. It kind of cheered everyone up,” he said. “It’s a miracle.”
Read more here. Our hearts go out to the Gaillard family for their tragic loss. But, we’re so thrilled that their courageous Corgi survived the Montana avalanche, giving them at least a bit of cheer in the face of sadness. Do you have any amazing stories of dogs finding their way home, or any thoughts on this story? Share them with us below.
Lynda Wirts
says:I offer my condolences to the family. As a corgi owner, this story grabs my heart strings. When my husband has a seizure, our corgi will come looking for me to let me know something is wrong with “Daddy”. He was never trained for this. When an older neighbor fell and broke his leg, our corgi let us know something was wrong. Again, he’s never been trained for this. Based on the characteristics of our corgi, I am not surprised by the actions of this little guy. In my opinion, he’s doing what a corgi does. I’m glad he had a happy ending.