Beo’s back.
A week after the 7-year-old Siberian husky got lost in the Wind River Mountains while on a camping trip with his family, Beo was back in Cheyenne with his family Friday.
“My husband, Richard, got him back around midnight,” Kellie Christensen told Cowboy State Daily. “He’s going to the veterinarian at noon, just to make sure he’s OK.”
Richard Christensen reunited with Beo near Papoose Lake, more than 55 miles from the campground where Beo had originally gone missing.
Kellie and her daughter, Jaylyn, were overwhelmed by the emotion of the weeklong wait for Beo’s return.
“When Beo saw us, he ran up to my dad and put his head between his legs,” Jaylyn said. “Then he fell onto the ground and started quivering. He knew he was found. He knew he was going to be alright.”
But How?
Beo went missing Aug. 15 during the Christensen family’s annual camping trip up the East Fork of the Big Sandy River.
The family believes their dog, who was off-leash at the time, crossed the river near the campground and was either unable or too scared to return to the opposite bank.
Once they had cellphone service, the Christensens cast a wide net on social media, sharing posts about Beo and asking anyone who’d seen him to reach out. They received a steady stream of calls, texts and the occasional photo from strangers who had seen the husky and wanted to assist however they could.
“Someone got a hold of my dad’s phone number and sent him a photo of Beo (near Lonesome Lake), but it had been taken two days earlier,” Jaylyn said. “So, we were like, ‘OK, he's not there, but he's probably in the general vicinity.’”
At least one person got close enough to Beo to grab his collar, but the husky rebuffed the offer of assistance and darted off.
Then the Christensens got a call from a hiker in the Wind River Range with a satellite phone. They had Beo and intended to get him home.
“He said that he would pack him out with him on Saturday,” Jaylyn said. “My dad didn’t want to wait that long, so (the caller) said they were going to be camped out at Papoose Lake for a couple of days.”
Richard and Jaylyn set out to make the 25-mile round-trip hike to reach and return from Papoose Lake with Beo on Thursday. They were reunited around midnight Friday.
The Kindness Of Strangers
Beo ended up choosing his own rescuers, two men from Minnesota and Colorado hiking through the Wind River Range with their two dogs. They told the family that Beo found them and kept himself on a short leash.
“He would not leave those gentlemen,” Kellie said. “They slept in their tent, and Beo would sleep outside the tent. He went swimming with them. He felt comfortable with those men and their dogs, and followed them everywhere.”
Beo’s rescuers ensured that Beo was well-fed and looked after for the short time he was their traveling companion. He didn’t leave their side until reuniting with his family when they arrived at Papoose Lake.
For the Christensens, having Beo back has ended a wave of intense emotional energy. They went above and beyond to get their dog back.
“He’s our baby,” Jaylyn said. “We printed out flyers in Pinedale, handed them out there in Boulder, delivered them in mailboxes and contacted all the sheriff's departments from Rock Springs to Jackson. It was a lot.”
Their earnest effort to bring their dog home brought out the best in dozens of strangers who wanted to help, including the two men who ultimately managed to reunite Beo with his family.
“We want to send a lot of thanks to everyone who helped us,” Jaylyn said. “People fed him, gave him company and created a safe space so we could bring him home.”
Beo spent most of Friday morning sleeping. He’s had quite a journey, but he’s back where he’s safe and loved.
“We are ecstatic,” Kellie said. “We couldn’t be happier than we are right now. And we can tell everyone who reached out to our family that’s Beo’s home. It has been quite a journey.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
