Brinley, a small terrier mix, weighed 28 pounds when she left Dallas, Texas, with her owner for a summer road trip last month. Thirty-three days after stopping in Summit County, the 12-year-old dog weighed just 17.2 pounds.

She survived mostly alone in the wilderness after becoming loose near the Blue River Campground in Silverthorne on Thursday, June 10. Scott Welch, Brinley’s lifelong owner, reunited with his dog and “best buddy” on Monday, July 13, ending a monthlong search that drew dozens of volunteers and stretched across mountain trails, ranches and river corridors.

This month, Summit Lost Pet Rescue has successfully saved two lost dogs that went missing for over four weeks — Brinley and 2-year-old Atlas, who was reunited with his owners Sunday, July 5. 

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Brinley lost over a third of her body weight while repeatedly evading rescuers, navigating rugged terrain and narrowly dodging predators before volunteers with the nonprofit, volunteer-run rescue group helped to guide her back into Welch’s arms.

On June 10, Welch stopped at a scenic pullout near Blue River Campground just outside Silverthorne while driving to Seattle to pick up his daughter for a family vacation. He and Brinley exited his van, equipped for camping, to stretch their legs before returning to the vehicle. Just before heading back on the road, Welch stepped less than 80 feet away to snap a photo. 

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When he returned to the car barely two minutes later, he noticed the driver’s side door open. 

“I thought that was strange because I don’t usually do that,” Welch said. 

Back in the car, Welch said he thought he saw Brinley’s outline tucked among camping gear in the back seat and continued driving. About 90 minutes later, when he stopped and opened the back of the van, “There was no Brinley,” he said. “My heart sunk.” 

Welch immediately drove straight back to the campground area, where an employee informed him Summit County Sheriff’s Office deputies had already searched for Brinley with drones after receiving reports of a loose white dog. Summit County Animal Control and Summit Lost Pet Rescue had also begun organizing before Welch returned to Silverthorne three hours after losing Brinley.

“They already knew about her,” Welch said of the three agencies. “They had volunteers on the job looking. They had signs everywhere. They started a bunch of social media messages.”

Without his built-in companion, Welch put his family vacation on hold and remained in Summit County for nearly a week, living in his van while joining the search effort. Worn out from the frantic searches and hitting four days without any reported sightings, Welch said he decided to join his family on the West Coast through the end of June. Because Summit Lost Pet Rescue volunteers “never gave up,” he said, “It gave me the confidence to leave.”

After July 4, Welch and his girlfriend “anxiously” drove back to Silverthorne, aware of multiple recent sightings. Each day for over a week, the pair hiked trails and rode bicycles loaned by community members while volunteers searched alongside.

“It’s a real rollercoaster,” Welch said. “There’s a sighting, and then they’re onsite 20 minutes later, and you think, ‘We’re gonna get her, we’re gonna get her,’ and then we don’t — day, after day, after day.”

A month in survival mode

Brandon Ciullo, co-founder of Summit Lost Pet Rescue, said Brinley initially stayed near Blue River Campground by the water before traveling across several private ranches in Silverthorne. She later climbed roughly 1,000 feet above Rock Creek Road before turning up near the popular Willowbrook Trail, where volunteers again came close to locating her.

“She’d spend three or four days in one spot and then move a little further away,” Ciullo said.

The search became a game of trying to predict Brinley’s next movements. Summit Lost Pet Rescue responded to around 25 confirmed sightings, with volunteers often dropping everything to hike miles, set traps and monitor cameras overnight. Tara Keefer, a five-year Summit Lost Pet Rescue team member and the coordinator for Brinley’s mission, worked to schedule hourlong night shifts, ensuring no longer than 30 minutes passed between reviews of footage.

At several points, Brinley’s path brought her close to predators. 

While surveilling a bridge at a ranch in Silverthorne, volunteers captured footage of two mountain lions, including a female with two cubs. Another video showed a coyote and her seven pups using the same crossing, Keefer said. 

“We were terrified for her,” she said. “But she clearly didn’t have any problem avoiding predators.”

After Brinley wandered onto another property, a young ranch hand watched her outrun four working dogs. 

“She’s fast,” Keefer recalled him saying. “She outran all my cattle dogs.”

Despite over two dozen sightings over a month, Brinley proved difficult to capture. 

Ciullo said the dog had transformed into what he described as a “super survival mode,” causing her to prioritize escape over recognizing even familiar voices. That instinct continued even when she finally encountered Welch, weeks after they initially separated.

Switching back from wild animal to pet

After a Summit County resident posted a photo of Brinley to Facebook on Monday, Ciullo, Welch and other Summit Lost Pet Rescue volunteers located Brinley a couple blocks east of Murdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply along Highway 9 in Silverthorne. 

The team of four carefully positioned themselves around her, using a “controlled push” to distance her from traffic and guide her toward Welch, Ciullo said. 

Before directing her just a couple blocks away from Murdoch’s, Brinley walked within a foot of Welch — twice — without recognizing him. Ciullo recalled Brinley walking through Welch’s legs.

“I think that’s the closest I’ve ever seen a dog to his owner without registering that it was his owner,” Ciullo said. 

Welch said after weeks of searching, he was prepared for that moment of disconnect. 

“I dropped the bike, took off my hat and I started singing her name to her,” Welch said. “She didn’t respond. Her response was to walk away.” 

After a couple attempts, Welch slipped a lead around her torso. Less than a minute later, Brinley’s demeanor shifted drastically.

“She converted from a wild animal to a pet in 15 seconds,” Welch said, becoming emotional while recalling the moment the next day. “Once I held her and she knew she was safe, she was open for other people to pet her and show affection, and she showed affection back. It was an amazing switch.”

Recovery begins

Shortly after the rescue Monday afternoon, Welch took Brinley to Buffalo Mountain Animal Hospital where Dr. Christine Murphy evaluated her condition. 

In addition to extreme emaciation, Welch said Brinley’s paws and forearms were badly scraped. When he picked her up for the first time after the rescue, blood from her injuries covered his shirt. 

“My baby looks like a poster dog,” Welch said. “She’s pretty much herself except the skeleton-like physique.”

Brinley must now follow a strict refeeding plan. Welch said the vet detected a heart murmur, likely a temporary physiological response to emaciation.

Welch, who had only ever visited Summit County to ski, said he plans to stick around through the end of the week while Brinley rests and regains some strength before returning to Texas.

“Once I got her cleaned up, we took a little nap together, which we often do,” Welch said. “It was wonderful to have her back stretched out against me.”

When Keefer received word of the rescue Monday, she became overcome with emotion.

“I got the message, and I had to pull over on the side of the highway because I was crying so much,” she said. “I’m just so happy that she’s safe.” 

Welch credited Summit Lost Pet Rescue, law enforcement, ranch owners and community members who welcomed him into their homes, helped search for Brinley and refused to yield. 

“If you’re gonna lose a dog, this is the right county to lose one,” Welch said.

Back at home, he said, Brinley “has a lot of fans that are anxious to see her.”