goldendoodle – Syndication Server

Goldendoodle lost for 16 days in Yellowstone has been found safe

A black goldendoodle that became lost in Yellowstone National Park on June 22 has been captured and reunited with her owners.

*This is a developing story

A black goldendoodle that became lost in Yellowstone National Park on June 22 was captured Thursday morning and reunited with her owners.

An Idaho-based volunteer animal rescue group, Ladies and The Trap, apparently played a key role in helping the owners retrieve the female dog, named Delta.

At the time of this post, the group had not responded to inquiries by For The Win Outdoors.

A spokesman for Yellowstone National Park, however, confirmed that Delta, who ran off at Artists Paintpots near Norris Geyser Basin, “was recovered by her owners at the parking lot where she took off 16 days ago.”

Mike Matsis, Delta’s owner, also has not responded to inquiries.

Delta’s popularity soared on Yellowstone-themed social media pages while she was loose in a park famous for its wild and sometimes ferocious critters, such as wolves, coyotes, and bears.

She has been skittish since escaping her owners – it’s still not clear how that happened – and would not respond to their calls or efforts by park rangers to lure her to within capture range.

People expressed anger at Delta’s owners for allowing her to get loose in a park that requires pet owners to be in physical control of their animals at all times.

At the same time, people rooted for Delta’s safety and were saddened over the July 4 holiday weekend to learn that three days had passed without a Delta sighting.

The park spokesman, who did not offer much in the way of details, hoped the following guidelines would help tourists prevent becoming involved in similar episodes:

Pets may only accompany people in developed areas and must remain within 100 feet of roads, parking areas and campgrounds.
Pets must be physically controlled at all times: they must be in a car, in a crate, or on a leash no more than six feet long.
Pets are not allowed on boardwalks, hiking trails, in the backcountry or in thermal areas.
Pets may not be left unattended or tied to an object.
Pets may not be left in a situation where food, water, shade, ventilation, and other basic needs are inadequate. Pets may remain in vehicles for short periods of time, but we recommend that someone stay behind to personally ensure their well-being.
Owners must bag and dispose of pet waste.

Pet dog still loose in Yellowstone, owner calls in ‘rescuers’

A Yellowstone National Park tourist whose dog escaped into the park more than a week ago says the goldendoodle is still alive and being spotted daily.

“She has been gone for 8 days,” Mike Matsis stated Wednesday on a Yellowstone-themed group Facebook page. “There are daily sightings which is great news. We appreciate everyone that is trying to help bring Delta home.”

Delta, who weighs 70 pounds, has been spotted mostly near Artists Paintpots south of the Norris Geyser Basin. However, she has not responded to calls by tourists or attempts by park rangers to capture the dog.

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Matsis continued: “Sightings from the road are helpful because it lets us know she is alive. But please do not chase her in the field or yell for her. She is very skittish right now and will only come for food.

“We do not want to chase her out of the area where she feels safe and has been surviving.”

Among the chief threats to Delta’s safety are coyotes, wolves, and mountain lions.

Linda Veress, a Public Information Specialist at Yellowstone, on Tuesday issued a statement to For The Win Outdoors:

“Rangers are aware that a dog has been on the loose. They are watching for it and trying to catch it while responding to a variety of other incidents and visitor needs.”

Veress made clear that tourists should be mindful of strict regulations pertaining to pets inside the park, which are as follows:

• Pets may only accompany people in developed areas and must remain within 100 feet of roads, parking areas, and campgrounds.
• Pets must be physically controlled at all times: they must be in a car, in a crate, or on a leash no more than six feet long.
• Pets are not allowed on boardwalks, hiking trails, in the backcountry, or in thermal areas.
• Pets may not be left unattended or tied to an object.
• Pets may not be left in a situation where food, water, shade, ventilation, and other basic needs are inadequate. Pets may remain in vehicles for short periods of time, but we recommend that someone stay behind to personally ensure their well being.
• Owners must bag and dispose of pet waste.

Matsis, who has not responded to inquiries by For The Win Outdoors, concluded in his Facebook post:

“The rangers are trying very hard to trap her and we don’t want anyone to interfere with their efforts. We also have a group of dog rescuers that are going to come out and help us this weekend. We will be living in the park until we get her back.”

Pet dog on the loose and scared in Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park rangers are hoping to capture a tourist’s pet dog that has been loose in the wilderness since last Thursday.

“We lost our dog ‘Delta’ at the Artist Paintpots at 12:45 p.m.,” Mike Mastis, owner of the 70-pound female goldendoodle, posted on a Yellowstone-themed Facebook page late Saturday. “We have not seen her for three days and we are devastated. Please look for her when you are in the park.”

As of late Sunday, despite efforts to locate and catch Delta, she was still at bay, presumably across a river, and probably frightened.

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“She’s still alive and unharmed,” Mastis stated in a new post Sunday night. “She has been seen alive everyday in the same area. The rangers are trying to trap her. She is only gonna come to food so people yelling her name and chasing her is not working.”

As of the time of this post, Yellowstone National Park had not responded to a request for a statement.

Dogs are not allowed off-leash inside the park. They’re allowed only in developed areas and must be physically controlled – on a leash, inside a car or a crate – at all times.

They’re not allowed on hiking trails, boardwalks, or in the backcountry.

Off-leash they’re a potential threat to wildlife and, likewise, could fall prey to large predators such as wolves, coyotes, cougars, or grizzly bears.

Artists Paintpots is a thermal-feature destination south of the park’s Norris Geyser Basin.

–Image showing Delta the goldendoodle is courtesy of Mike Mastis