The community was on a mission: find Apollo.
Apollo, a white terrier mix ran away after a rollover accident on I-84 near the Stage Stop in Boise just after Christmas.
Police officials responding to the accident called Humane Officers with the Idaho Humane Society (IHS) to assist with the search and rescue, but Apollo had vanished.
The humane officers knew it wasn’t going to be an easy task — Apollo was white and fresh snow had fallen.
IHS staff frequently visited the site of the accident, putting out fresh food and water. They also worked with community members at the Stage Stop and surrounding area to keep a vigilant watch for the dog.
Hope was never lost in the search for Apollo; for weeks, several Humane Officers spent their days off driving their personal vehicles around the area in hopes of rescuing the dog.
“I went out into the desert looking for Apollo, to see if I could locate any tracks,” explained Humane Officer Staley. “A buddy of mine helped by the hiking around the area and several other officers with four-wheelers were looking for Apollo on their days off as well,” he continued.
Then the call came that Apollo may have been spotted.
“I looked out the window and saw him snooping around,” said the David Banks, a caretaker at the Double Tapp Range.
Banks called the IHS and Humane Officers arrived at the scene where they successfully rescued Apollo and brought him to the IHS Veterinary Medical Center for veterinary care.
Miraculously, Apollo had survived 15 days alone in the desert through arduous conditions.
This wasn’t the first time the caretakers at the Double Tapp Range had located a dog. Banks explained, “A red Doberman named Tallie… had been out here a couple weeks after getting out of the Stage Stop last year,” he explained. The dog reportedly jumped out of the vehicle when the owner’s back was turned but was reunited after Humane Officials located and returned the animal thanks to it being microchipped. “They were happy to get her back”, said Banks.
Apollo was reunited with his family today at no cost to the family.
To make a donation to support the Idaho Humane Society, a private 501(c)3 organization that relies on donations to provide programs and services that benefit animals in Idaho, please click here.
Related Media
- https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/article194911729.html
- http://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/post/video-rescuing-apollo-dog-after-15-days-idaho-desert
- https://www.kivitv.com/news/missing-dog-rescued-after-15-days-in-the-desert-south-of-boise
- https://nbc16.com/features/pet-of-the-week/dog-survives-15-days-in-desert-outside-boise-after-rollover-crash
- https://www.inspiringday.com/missing_dog_found_15_days_later_in_treacherous_idaho_weather
- http://www.wlfi.com/content/national/469615113.html?ref=113
- https://virily.com/animals/dog-missing-15-days-found-alive-near-boise-idaho/