One of two dogs abandoned in the wilds of Pingtung County’s Wutai mountains during the rescue of injured hiker was recovered by his master May 22.
Wu Xian-qi took Moony and Sunny, which habitually accompanied him on hikes, to challenge a peak over 2,000 meters high May 4.
During the trek, Wu was injured and the two dogs stayed by his side until rescuers could reach him. Unfortunately, they could not carry the canines out and were forced to leave the pair behind.
Wu said he may have some sort of psychic connection with his dogs, because he often dreamed of the pair. May 22 he met three hikers who accompanied him up the mountain. As the group walked, Wu felt certain that he would find something this time.
Strangely, Wu was right. A few minutes after noon, one of the other hikers was walking on a small trail at 1,500 meters of altitude, when he heard a dog barking. Following the sound, he found Moony, who was caught in a trap. Her left front leg had been severely injured by the device, and was still bleeding profusely. The hiker first sent his friend to carry Moony to their vehicle, while he followed behind, but no matter how loudly he called Sunny's name, there was no response from the second lost animal.
He had no choice but to call off the search for the moment. When Wu's daughter heard the news that Moony had been found, she jumped into her car with some friends and drove to the mountain to meet the party.
Moony was taken to a vet, where it was discovered that her front paw had been without circulation for too long. The wound was becoming necrotic, and the dog will be kept under close observation for a time to see if it will be necessary to amputate.
Wu believes that Sunny is still alive as well, and he vowed that he will not give up the search for the dog.
(This article originally appeared in The Liberty Times May 23.)