Lost dog searches for family in Yellowstone as deadly winter looms

A small dog named Luna has been on the loose in Yellowstone National Park since September

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A Jack Russell terrier missing for a month inside Yellowstone National Park has been spotted crossing street intersections, wandering through employee quarters, and walking into lodges via automatic doors.

Katie Boucher, the volunteer leading the rescue operation, said Luna has strong survival instincts. While her owners have requested anonymity, they informed Boucher that the terrier spent her first year of life surviving on the streets prior to adoption.

Temperatures have not yet dropped low enough to freeze the dog, though conditions could change rapidly. Boucher hopes a light dusting of snow across the area might motivate her to head back.

"Hopefully she has decided that winter in Yellowstone National Park is not a good vacation," Boucher said.

On the day of her disappearance, Luna's owners left her in a cabin marked with a do-not-disturb sign while exploring the park. Housekeeping staff accidentally opened the door, allowing the terrier to run out.

"The staff then proceeded to chase her around that area of the park for over two hours before the owners came back and discovered all the chaos and their dog missing," Boucher said.

"I cannot fathom how I would feel if I had been taking the vacation of a lifetime, and looking for all these memorable experiences in one of the most beautiful places on earth, and lost one of my family members there," Boucher said.

Boucher has tracked reported sightings and says the dog appears to be retracing the steps her owners took the day before she went missing, entering eateries and lodges they had previously visited.

When residents or tourists shout Luna’s name or run after her, it triggers a fight-or-flight reaction that drives her deeper into the park, according to Boucher. Volunteers have deployed a humane trap using her family’s scent, avoiding food baits that could attract bears or other wild animals.

Despite the impending deadline, she remains confident that she is close to reuniting Luna with her owners.