Trail cameras can have a wide range of uses, even comical ones. In a recent heartwarming display of community support combined with trail camera footage, Jacob (Jake) Dalbey found his lost dog, Ullr, after nearly a year.
In March 2023, a serene hike near Chair Mountain in the Rockies turned into a nightmare when Jake and his friends were caught in an avalanche. This includes the four-legged friend, who miraculously managed to escape. However, Ullr had been on his own since, and Jake was fighting the challenges of recovery from surgeries and severe frostbite.
In response to this dire situation, Jake’s friend Deborah Wiekerc took to GoFundMe. She started a campaign to raise funds for the search for Ullr. It would help cover the cost of hiring a professional tracker but also alleviate Jake’s medical costs for his own treatments.
The appeal struck a chord with people around the world, eventually amassing over $40,000 (and counting). But on February 22, 2024, after 11 painstaking months, Jake shared good news. “After 341 days, 11 months to the day of setting up trail cameras/food and moving them around in hopes of luring Ullr into one to finally get confirmation of what I have known all along, it has happened,” Jake wrote on GoFundMe. The cameras captured images of his best four-legged friend, looking “healthy and more majestic than ever.”
Returning Ullr home
While the trail cams helped Jake confirm that his buddy was alive and well, the journey to bring Ullr home isn’t over yet. As Jake prepares for the next steps in securing Ullr’s safe return, he continues to urge the public to report any sightings or signs of Ullr. “Please keep those reports of pawprints, barking, or possible sightings coming – every lead is a good lead until we prove it’s not,” he urges. Treat Ullr like stray cat. Stop, drop and report.”
This story brings so much together. It tells us about resilience, the deep bonds we share with our animal companions, and the incredible support that can emerge from a community. But it also shows the power of technology when it’s used for a good cause.
[via Digital Camera World]
