Ruger's owner, Chad Woodruff, decided to take the dog to work with him at his barbershop.
He had made all the arrangements to ensure Ruger would feel comfortable at the shop.
A great escape
However, as soon as the first customer of the day walked into the shop, things took a turn. Ruger bolted through the slightly open door and quickly vanished. His family searched for him absolutely everywhere. They put up posters and handed out flyers to try and find him, but there was no sign of the dog.
The dog's family never stopped looking for him for a whole year. They regularly posted notices in Facebook groups, hoping to find Ruger. So, when they received a call from the maintenance crew at a local golf course, they were in complete shock.
Life in the pack
The dog had been spotted in the middle of a pack of coyotes on the golf course. The pack seemed to have accepted him, and his family was relieved to know that Ruger hadn't spent the past 11 months all alone in the wild.
Finally, in mid-May, rescuers from the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region were able to rescue the dog. Ruger was finally reunited with his family!
Everyone was shocked to see that apart from a slightly dirty coat, the dog was in perfect health. He had no visible injuries. Ruger greeted his owners with so much love. What a wonderful reunion!