Jon Rouelle was hiking toward the summit of Spruce Mountain in Plainfield on January 17 when he noticed that one of his three dogs, Bruin, was missing.
Rouelle and his friend Jamie Sikora split up to look for the 100-pound brown Lab. Jamie headed up to the summit, and John went back down to the parking lot. No Bruin.
Jon and his dogs hike Spruce, a steep 4.3-mile round trip that starts in Plainfield, several times a week. He headed back up, calling his dog’s name. At home, his wife, artist Damariscotta Rouelle, put the word out on Facebook and Front Porch Forum.
With frigid weather in the forecast, concern about Bruin’s plight spread quickly.
April Farnham of Plainfield, who volunteers for a group called Central Vermont Canine Recovery and also hikes Spruce, heard from worried animal lovers. “I had people I didn’t even know saying, ‘Is there anything you can do?'” she said.
Farnham reached out to the Rouelles.
“She said, ‘I know you’re not going to be able to sleep tonight,'” Jon said.
The trio headed up the mountain in the dark and found tracks where Bruin had left the trail. They followed them to an area of rocky cliffs and caves. But the laid-back Lab was nowhere to be found.
Search parties tried in vain the next day, a Saturday, too. Early Sunday morning, Farnham, her friend and her dog, Asher, explored the caves again. This time, “I hollered and hollered, and all of a sudden I heard a whimper,” Farnham said. “I go, ‘Bruin?’ and he goes, ‘Woof!'”
Bruin was marooned on a steep pinnacle, seemingly afraid to move. Farnham, 58, a hairdresser, weight lifter and personal trainer, carried him down.
Recounting these events in their kitchen a week later, the Rouelles described Bruin’s return as a miracle — and said they’ve since purchased GPS collars. Bruin, who lost three pounds in two days, snoozed on the couch.
“I feel so blessed and thankful for all the people who helped,” Damariscotta said.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Dog Rescue”
This article appears in Jan 29 – Feb 4, 2025.
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