Luna, a small dog missing for over a month in Yellowstone, is reunited
with her owners
[October 15, 2026]
By MIKELLA SCHUETTLER
For over a month, Luna, a Jack Russell terrier that bolted from her
family's cabin during a vacation at Yellowstone National Park, eluded
capture as fears for her survival mounted and winter weather approached.
On Wednesday, her ordeal came to a happy ending when she was caught and
reunited with her owners.
The 10-year-old white dog with pointy ears and a gray collar had been
spotted crossing intersections, strolling through employee housing and
entering lodges through automatic doors at the sprawling park, home to
grizzly bears, wolves and other predators.
Katie Boucher, the volunteer leading the rescue effort and a
spokesperson for Luna's California owners, said she and one of the
owners found the dog in the trap baited with scraps from a T-shirt and
pillowcase belonging to the family. They took her to a veterinarian,
where the owner held the dog as it was examined Wednesday afternoon.
“She's underweight, but that's to be expected. She's alert and in good
spirits,” Boucher said. “I was crying all the way up here from the
park."
Luna escaped Sept. 10. Boucher said the dog spent its first year on the
streets before being adopted and showed strong survival instincts while
on the loose. Based on sightings, Boucher said, Luna retraced her
family’s steps from the day before she was lost -- sneaking into
eateries or lodges they had visited and seeking shelter in employee
residences and businesses.
An escape into the wilderness
The day of the escape, the family left her in their cabin with a “Do Not
Disturb” sign while they ventured out to explore the park. They believe
a housekeeping staffer accidentally opened a door, freeing the dog.
“The staff then proceeded to chase her around that area of the park for
over two hours before the owners came back and discovered all the chaos
and their dog missing,” Boucher said.
Yellowstone was the first U.S. national park and covers about 3,500
square miles (some 9,000 square kilometers), including portions of
Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
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In this photo made with a smartphone, Luna, a dog who was lost in
Yellowstone National Park, is held by her owner after her recovery
on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026. (Katie Boucher/Norris Ark Training and
Recovery Center via AP)
Luna's family searched for the dog, which is part chihuahua, but
were told it likely died, possibly killed by a coyote, Boucher
recounted. Days after leaving Yellowstone, the owners learned Luna
had been spotted, and contacted Boucher, president of the Norris Ark
Training and Recovery Center in Norris, Montana, north of the park.
“I cannot fathom how I would feel if I had been taking the vacation
of a lifetime, and looking for all these memorable experiences in
one of the most beautiful places on earth, and lost one of my family
members there,” Boucher said.
Locals and tourists called out Luna’s name or chased her, triggering
her fight-or-flight response and driving her further into the park,
Boucher said. The volunteers set a live trap using the family's
scent to lure Luna in, avoiding food that could attract bears or
other wildlife.
Time was running out as winter closes in
Boucher said this was the last week she would have been able to
search for Luna. She was sleeping at an RV park for seasonal
employees that closes next Monday.
The search had rallied locals and tourists alike. Marie Jaskula, an
area resident who runs one of the park's general stores, posted
signs at every park entrance urging visitors to be on the lookout
for the dog.
“It’s really hard to stress the importance of do not chase,” said
Jaskula. “Everybody sees this little dog buzz across the
intersection or maybe around their employee housing, and the first
instinct is to call her name and chase her.”
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