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    Dog found alive 4 days after Montana avalanche

    BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A dog that was feared dead after he was swept away in a weekend avalanche that killed his owner showed up four days later at the Montana motel where his owners had stayed the night before going backcountry skiing.

    Search and rescue team member Bill Whittle said he was "positive" that the Welsh corgi — named Ole — had been buried in Saturday's avalanche.

    "The avalanche guys were up there on Monday investigating and they were looking for the dog too and never seen any signs," he said.

    But on Wednesday, Ole showed up exhausted and hungry back at the motel, four miles from where the slide occurred, the Billings Gazette (http://bit.ly/zNaSeK) reported.

    "When I first saw the dog, it was sitting in front of their room staring at the door," Cooke City Alpine Motel owner Robert Weinstein said in an email to The Associated Press on Thursday.

    Dave Gaillard of Bozeman was skiing with his wife when the avalanche struck near Cooke City, an old mining town just outside Yellowstone National Park.

    "His last words to me were, 'Retreat to the trees.' I think he saw what was coming from above, that I did not see," Kerry Corcoran Gaillard told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.

    Gaillard's daughter, 11-year-old Marguerite, was putting photos of Ole on poster board as a memorial Wednesday afternoon.

    "She found out when she was halfway done with that that Ole was still alive," said Gaillard's step-daughter, Silver Brelsford.

    Whittle drove the dog back to the family in Bozeman.

    "He was tired," Brelsford told the AP. "He's doing really well now."

    Sidney resident Jody Ray Verhasselt, 46, also died Saturday in another avalanche while snowmobiling north of Cooke City. The two New Year's Eve avalanche deaths have taken a toll on the small mountain community.

    "We needed this," Whittle said of Ole's survival. "It kind of cheered everyone up."

    Searchers recovered Gaillard's body earlier this week. Family members were preparing for his funeral on Friday.

     
    • Duke  •  4 mths ago
      That is not even their home and the Dog was smart enough to know where to find the Motel and which room he stayed in. Corgi's are cool looking.
      • Linda 4 mths ago
        I have two corgis. They are cool looking and smarter than most humans. :)
      • james 4 mths ago
        Corgi's used to always win the maze on the That's my Dog show back in the 90s. They seem really intelligent.
      • Melinda 4 mths ago
        @Linda I think most dogs are smarter than humans lol
    • Diana D  •  Norwalk, Ohio  •  4 mths ago
      sad story but so happy the little dog survived..I am sure it gives the man's family some comfort
    • Cynthia W  •  Jacksonville, Florida  •  4 mths ago
      So sorry for this tragedy. Very glad the dog made it.
    • Tracey  •  Colorado Springs, Colorado  •  4 mths ago
      Gotta love a Corgi. I have one and they are loyal to the end. I am so sorry for their loss but glad there was one bright spot in the tragedy. Maybe Ole can help comfort them.
      • Aerold 4 mths ago
        I want one!
      • Diana 4 mths ago
        Corgi's are smart dogs, very loyal, loveable and true. They will stick by you through thick and thin, but a lot of people can't handle the fact that they shed all year around. Prayers to the family
    • Melinda  •  Cartersville, Georgia  •  4 mths ago
      My condolences go out to the mother and daughter. It must be heart breaking. The dog showing up kinda seems like he was sent back to protect them. Glad he is alright.
    • Kate  •  Eau Claire, Wisconsin  •  4 mths ago
      So glad the dog made it, but I am sorry that Ole's owner didn't.
    • Just Got Junk  •  Kent, Ohio  •  4 mths ago
      Dogs as other animals are much smarter then a majority of humans out there. Think about it some types of animals and insects have been around longer tehn humans. There is a reason for this. If I have to choose to hang out with some animals for the night or humans I would pick animals hands down.
      • Lance Boyle 4 mths ago
        I showed your post to my dog and he pointed out that you twice used "then" when "than" was the correct word. You have a run-on sentence and left out a comma in your last sentence. Don't be mad. I'm just telling you what the dog pointed to and barked at. He sucks at typing.
      • Chuck Norris 4 mths ago
        If I am understanding correctly, you have no friends.
      • Beerian 4 mths ago
        What animal is smarter than a majority of humans? You must of grown up around morons if you truly believe that statement...btw animals have better survival instincts for that's what it is an instinct, because they have to know them. Humans have evolved past knowing how to survive in the wild because our intelligence got us out of that situation many generations ago, we have grown soft that does not mean some animal is smarter than us.
    • Rene  •  Key West, Florida  •  4 mths ago
      Glad they had a happy note to end a tragic death.My condolences to family and friends.
    • Dawn  •  Everett, Washington  •  4 mths ago
      Sincerest condolences to the family, and, hurray for Ole.
    • republicandrinkingtea  •  4 mths ago
      Bless his heart!
    • Joan  •  4 mths ago
      Dogs are smart. He could smell where he was staying before and that's were he headed. So sorry about the loss of the father. Hope this little dog brings some relief to the family in their sudden loss of a family member.
    • Charlie Sierra  •  Phoenix, Arizona  •  4 mths ago
      Sad that the people died...I am so happy that the dog made it out alive! My condolences to the families.
      • Tina 4 mths ago
        seriously, why would anyone click "thumbs down" for comments like these? What's wrong with those people?
      • Barb Patrice 4 mths ago
        Tina.. if they are like me, (I have nerve damage in one of my hands) it may have been accidental.. although when I do it accidentally I usually leave a comment apologizing for it..
    • hesperias witch  •  Los Angeles, California  •  4 mths ago
      Such a bittersweet story....their loss is deep, but knowing what that dog went through to find them shows a love only an animal can give....Prayers to the family for you loss.
    • Educatin' , Not Hatin ...  •  4 mths ago
      Glad about the dog. Sorry for everything else. Prayers to you!
      • oooo 4 mths ago
        for sure..one good thing out of all this...cute corgi
      • Educatin' , Not Hatin ... 4 mths ago
        Yes! A cute, spirited breed!! (But I love 'em all!)
      • Aerold 4 mths ago
        The corgi is cute.
    • aaron  •  Chicago, Illinois  •  4 mths ago
      Dogs are amazing!
    • D. Bell  •  St Paul, Minnesota  •  4 mths ago
      He's a survivor, he's not gonna give up! Great story.
    • cyberford  •  Seattle, Washington  •  4 mths ago
      corgi's are the best
    • Teak B Wood  •  Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin  •  4 mths ago
      Funny looking little dog,.........they always look smarter than us.................
    • A.J.  •  4 mths ago
      Who's A Goo'd Boy!!?
    • the Rodd in L.A.  •  Los Angeles, California  •  4 mths ago
      now THIS is the kind of story I enjoy reading about,,,,,,,,not those stupid stories abour these underbrained athletes and their antics.
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