The Crested Butte community has been following along with the search for a missing dog named Kaiya for 27 days and at long last, good news was shared related to the situation.

According to a post on the Crested Butte Community Forum Facebook page, Kaiya was finally reunited with her owners on October 18 after going missing during a camping trip on September 21 in the Taylor’s Canyon area near Almont. Per reporting from FOX31, Kaiya jumped out of their moving car in the area of One Mile Campground while the couple was traveling about 15 miles per hour, running off.

After Kaiya went missing, her owner reportedly camped in the area for an extended period during the initial two weeks of the search, setting up live traps and pursuing sightings near trails and campsites – all while updating the community along the way.

On October 16, it was announced that Kaiya was spotted near Doctor’s Park, with hunters in the area assisting owners in keeping track of her location.

Two days later, after her owners left food and another live trap out near the hunters’ campsite, Kaiya returned, and one of the men was able to grab her, reuniting her with her owners shortly after that.

A report from FOX31 indicates that Kaiya was checked out by a vet and despite losing 20 pounds, was relatively healthy.

Thankfully, this story has a happy ending. It serves as a good reminder to make sure pets are secured in vehicles while in the backcountry, as if a pet is able to escape, it may run off in a moment of fear and excitement, also risking injury from the fall.