An Edmonton family is sharing their incredible story after their beloved dog, Milo, went missing in the Canadian Rockies and survived alone in the wild for nearly three weeks.
Shianne Janson got married on Aug. 23 near Abraham Lake and stayed for a week with her husband, their daughter and Milo, an eight-year-old Korean Jindo, to spend the long weekend camping.
On the evening of Sept. 1, Janson said, she “was in the trailer with my daughter getting ready for bed, along with my husband, and Milo was outside leashed up and someone set fireworks off.
“It was one of those really long leashes, so I thought if Milo does get scared, he’ll probably just run under the trailer.”
But when Janson went outside to check, Milo was nowhere to be found. She said he managed to break free, leaving behind his leash and collar.
Janson said this was unusual for Milo.
“He’s usually right there, he’s never away from us,” Janson said.
The Jansons searched through the night, but the next afternoon, they had to pack up and return to Edmonton without their beloved pet.
“In my head, I thought, ‘It’s bear country. Something happened to him.’”
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They shared Milo’s story in various Facebook groups week after week, hoping another camper might spot him.
Janson said she responded to every tip – then finally, a breakthrough. On Thursday, a hiker called, saying he’d seen Milo and even sent a photo.
“Without a doubt, I got goosebumps all throughout my body, I was like, ‘That’s my dog,’” Janson said.
She and her husband drove straight to Abraham Lake. There, other campers helped search.
“We came across a deer and I rolled down my window, and the deer was staring right at me – you could see his ears moving – I was talking to him, and I said, ‘Hey buddy, if you see my dog, please bring him home to me,’” Janson said.
They searched late into the night and caught a break at 1 a.m. “The campers are knocking on my window and saying, ‘Hurry up, we see Milo.’”
“They said they had shone the flashlight at the forest, and they saw a deer and Milo was directly behind it.”
The search resumed. Then, just as they nearly gave up searching again, Janson said she spotted something in the distance – a pair of yellow eyes reflecting in the dark.
“In my head, I was like, ‘Please be Milo and not, like, a cougar,” Janson said. “I stood still and softly called his name, and you could see his eyes go like this as if he tilted his head.
“I called his name again and he just ran to me.”
Milo had spent 19 days in the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. Remarkably, all he had to show for it was a coat full of dirt and burrs, and a small bite on his right ear.
“I truthfully believe he was adopted by a pack of deer, so something was protecting him out there. I do wish I knew what all of his adventures were and what went on out there,” Janson said.
Milo has since been checked by a vet and received an updated rabies vaccine. Janson said it will always be a mystery what he went through to survive, but she hopes his story teaches others to take the dangers of fireworks more seriously.
“I know that it’s fun and pretty, but if Milo’s story convinces other people, I will never look at them the same and I hope they think twice before setting off fireworks, just in case someone’s fur baby is out there,” Janson said.
There was a fire advisory in effect for all of Clearwater County during the September long weekend.
According to the Alberta government website, fireworks are always prohibited in that area without written permission of a forest officer, regardless of fire risk.
Thankfully, Milo is now home in Edmonton, safe, sound and snacking on treats, and catching up on some well-deserved rest.
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