{"id":139463,"date":"2026-07-16T12:42:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T18:42:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/atlas-the-exploring-dog-reunited-with-owners-after-29-days-and-hundreds-of-miles\/"},"modified":"2026-07-16T12:42:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T18:42:18","slug":"atlas-the-exploring-dog-reunited-with-owners-after-29-days-and-hundreds-of-miles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/atlas-the-exploring-dog-reunited-with-owners-after-29-days-and-hundreds-of-miles\/","title":{"rendered":"Atlas the exploring dog reunited with owners after 29 days and hundreds of miles"},"content":{"rendered":"The two-year-old rescue dog was lost on June 6\n

\"Atlas,
Atlas, a two-year-old black lab and shepherd mix, is home after being lost for 29 days.(Courtesy of Summit Lost Pet Rescue)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

When Atlas, a two-year-old black Labrador and shepherd mix, escaped from his owners during a hike at McCullough Gulch on June 6, they never could have imagined that it would take until after Independence Day for them to be reunited.<\/p>\n

They certainly never could have imagined that rescuing Atlas would require the efforts of three dozen volunteers from Summit Lost Pet Rescue, nor that their dog would lead rescuers on one of the most difficult missions in the organization\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

But Atlas did just that, embarking on a harrowing journey that \u2013 rescuers estimate \u2013 led the dog to cover about 300 miles of ground before returning home.<\/p>\n

On July 5, 29 days after the initial escape, Atlas\u2019s owners Andrew and Joy Wobido would finally be reunited with their beloved pet.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did have one volunteer from Summit Lost Pet Rescue come to meet us at the McCullough Gulch parking lot, and something that she told us really stuck with me. Her message was to be patient,\u201d Andrew said. \u201cI didn\u2019t think it\u2019d be (almost) 30 days, but it prepared me for, \u2018Well, this could take a while.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Atlas\u2019s escape<\/div>\n

The Wobidos had adopted Atlas less than a month before their routine hike turned into the start of the dog\u2019s nearly monthlong journey across Summit County.<\/p>\n

It was \u2013 at first \u2013 a perfect day, Joy recalls. Atlas had been adopted from the South, and it was his first time seeing snow before.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we got to the top, the two dogs were just running and running and running in the snow,\u201d she said. \u201cThey were just so happy. It truly was the best day. I was like \u2018This is what I have been looking for \u2013 two dogs like this who love the outdoors and love to run.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The day took a turn when another group along the same trail scared Atlas, and he ran off.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though we only had him three weeks, it was just very out of character. There were zero red flags that any of this could have ever happened,\u201d Joy said, explaining that Atlas was a \u201cVelcro dog\u201d who never liked to leave his owners.<\/p>\n

At first, Joy and Andrew tried to find Atlas themselves, to no avail.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe looked for him for a long time,\u201d Joy said. \u201cHe was like a ghost. He was gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, she hiked downward, looking for cellphone reception to call the Summit Lost Pet Rescue for advice. Meanwhile, Andrew stayed on the trail searching for Atlas.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew that we wanted to contact the rescue group, but we didn\u2019t realize how involved they would be,\u201d Andrew said. \u201cOnce they fully engaged, we had this army of volunteers and people that were willing to help us. That was amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The journey home<\/div>\n

Summit Lost Pet Rescue first started putting colorful signs around town, hoping to increase awareness \u2013 and therefore, sightings \u2013 of Atlas.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started putting up the neon signs that help us get the community knowledge and get community involved,\u201d said Sam Harris, a team leader with the rescue group. \u201cWe run primarily on sightings, so a mission like this has as many sightings as the community has. It helps us narrow down where Atlas was and where he\u2019s going to be next.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to a list of sightings provided by the Summit County Rescue Group, there would be about 47 total sightings of Atlas throughout the mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe theme throughout this mission is that we kept on getting sightings at different places across Breckenridge, Blue River and even Frisco,\u201d said Greg Schoenfeld, another team leader for the rescue group. \u201cWe would constantly adjust, send people into the field, renew signage that had been taken down in different areas, renew postings on Facebook and social media, just to get more eyes into the field.\u201d<\/p>\n

The dog was spotted in construction zones, as well as resorts, businesses and in private backyards, reported to the rescue group via Ring camera footage. He was also seen on the trail cameras that Summit Lost Pet Rescue has purchased and installed to help with their rescue missions.<\/p>\n

Each time the dog was spotted, the Wobidos\u2019 emotions ran high.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had kind of a baseline of sadness and stress, that was my floor,\u201d Andrew said. \u201cIt would tick up when we got a sighting and then would tick down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through it all, he said the rescue group brought him and Joy comfort.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were our emotional backstop during this entire period,\u201d Andrew said. \u201cThey became like our family.\u201d<\/p>\n

At some of the more promising sighting locations, the group set traps, hoping to catch the elusive mutt.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe set up a live trap, which is a crate with a release door on it that the dog walks in and they hit a release button halfway through it. When they do that, it closes and pushes them into the trap further,\u201d Harris said.<\/p>\n

Some of these traps yielded no results. Others accidentally caught wildlife, like foxes, that wandered in by mistake. These animals were immediately released by members of the rescue team.<\/p>\n

\"A
A camera catches Atlas sniffing a trap set by Summit Lost Pet Rescue. (Courtesy of Summit Lost Pet Rescue)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>
Trapping Atlas<\/div>\n

On July 6, the Wobidos and rescuers received a notification in the live chats being used to communicate about Atlas. A trap set near the Shock Hill neighborhood had caught something.<\/p>\n

Joy had just left to travel for work. She had considered canceling the trip \u2013 she wanted to be home when Atlas returned \u2013 but thought there was no way that volunteers would catch the dog while she was gone, given how long they had been trying with little success.<\/p>\n

Andrew told her to go, and that he would stay in case Atlas was found. He said there was \u201ca little bit of pessimism\u201d in their conversations at that point.<\/p>\n

When the first trap notifications came in, he said he tried to distract himself, in case it was another fox.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying not to get too excited, so I\u2019m not looking at the camera. This could be a fox,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd then it\u2019s like \u2018Oh my gosh, he\u2019s in there. We got him.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Joy \u2013 who was still en route to Denver International Airport \u2013 decided to come back to Summit County while Andrew and Harris immediately made their way to Shock Hill.<\/p>\n

Family reunion<\/div>\n

After 29 days, Andrew and the rescuers laid eyes on a trapped Atlas \u2013 about 10 pounds lighter, but safe.<\/p>\n

Still, the mission wasn\u2019t quite complete. Rescuers needed to make sure that Atlas wouldn\u2019t run again.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s really important is we don\u2019t want to release a dog that\u2019s been on the run back into the wild, so we have to physically move the trap in a vehicle to a secure location where we can open the trap without any risk of losing the dog again,\u201d Schoenfeld explained.<\/p>\n

But once the trap had been moved, Atlas was released back to Andrew and Joy\u2019s arms. After a lengthy period in the wild, they worried that the dog\u2019s personality would have changed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWas he going to be aggressive? Was he going to try and bite us? Were we going to have to go through starting over with him?\u201d Joy said they wondered. \u201cThe rescue kept telling us \u2018No, he should go back to normal.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The Wolbidos say that Atlas was back to normal immediately. One of the only changes they\u2019ve observed in their pet has been his weight loss, which, Schoenfeld said, was impressively slight.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt 10-plus miles a day, we calculated that he was burning about 3,000 calories a day, and he only lost 10 pounds,\u201d Schoenfeld said. \u201cWe also calculated that he was consuming about 2,200 calories a day on average, which is pretty amazing. \u2026 He clearly was looking for anything and everything he possibly could eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Andrew
Andrew Wobido hugs his dog, Atlas, after they reunited. (Courtesy of Summit Lost Pet Rescue)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The one other change that Andrew and Joy have seen in Atlas since his return is a welcome one.<\/p>\n

\u201cAtlas has turned into a 75 pound lap dog,\u201d Andrew said \u201cWhen he got home, he just wanted to be touching you, and we were happy to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

To read more stories from Summit Daily, visit www.summitdaily.com<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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