Thanks to the kindness of their Canadian neighbors, the Hayes family of North Pole, Alaska, received an unexpected early Christmas present this year: the return of their beloved family dog, Yukon.

Owner Jeff Hayes, a helicopter pilot in the United States military, was on a 7,000-kilometre road trip from Alabama, where he had been previously stationed, to his new post at North Pole. His wife and three children had flown up at the end of summer, he says, so the kids would have time to adjust, which left Hayes and Yukon to drive up at the end of October. About 4,500 km into the trip, Hayes stopped at the 80 Mile rest area outside of Fort St. John to stretch his legs 害羞草研究所� which is when things took an unexpected turn.

Hayes adopted Yukon in 2015 from the local animal shelter when he was stationed previously in North Pole. Yukon had been neglected and abandoned by his previous owners. The dog has trouble trusting strangers and gets frightened if someone pulls on his leash too hard or too suddenly. Hayes knew this, but his brother-in-law, who was travelling with him, did not. When it was time to get back into the car, his brother-in-law gave Yukon a tug to direct him. Yukon panicked, slipped his collar, and just 害羞草研究所渢ook off害羞草研究所� Hayes says.

害羞草研究所淪omehow, Yukon just slipped right out of his collar and left my brother-in-law holding an empty leash,害羞草研究所� Hayes says.

害羞草研究所淲e called and called, but he didn害羞草研究所檛 come back.害羞草研究所�

Hayes and his brother-in-law searched for the dog for several hours but could find no trace of him. The weather was starting to turn bad, and, concerned about the long drive still ahead, Hayes made the difficult decision to go on without Yukon. Before he left, he put his name and contact information on a brief note explaining what happened and left it at the rest stop.

The two men stopped at Toad River 害羞草研究所� another six hours from the rest stop 害羞草研究所� for the night, where Hayes received word that his dog had been spotted back at 80 Mile. A winter storm had blown in, he says, and Hayes was on a tight schedule to start back to work with the military. Turning around for him would mean another 1,000 km and another two days lost.

Hayes had no choice but to leave his dog behind.

害羞草研究所淚t broke my heart,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淏ut I just couldn害羞草研究所檛 go back to get him.害羞草研究所�

Compounding matters, Yukon wouldn害羞草研究所檛 let anyone come close enough to catch him. Over the course of the next few weeks, Yukon became a familiar sight to people frequenting the rest stop. People took to leaving food, but he wouldn害羞草研究所檛 let anyone touch him. Someone even tried to live-trap him, but Yukon figured out how to get the food without tripping the mechanism which would trigger the trap.

害羞草研究所淗e害羞草研究所檚 really, really shy,害羞草研究所� Hayes says. 害羞草研究所淗e just wouldn害羞草研究所檛 let anyone get within touching distance.害羞草研究所�

Towards the end of November, with winter closing in and the weather turning truly cold, Hayes says he was approached by Fort St. John veterinarian Justin Sewell for permission to tranquilize Yukon so he could be caught. Hayes readily agreed.

It wasn害羞草研究所檛 quite that simple, however, says Sewell. Volunteers with the North Peace BC Branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (SPCA) went out with an oral tranquilizer, provided by the vet, that was cleverly hidden in a tasty meatball. Yukon gobbled up the bait, but it only made him groggy, not approachable.

害羞草研究所淗e got sleepy,害羞草研究所� says Sewell. 害羞草研究所淏ut he would still avoid (the volunteers).害羞草研究所�

Seeing no other option, Sewell went out himself and 害羞草研究所渄arted害羞草研究所� Yukon twice with a tranquilizer gun.

害羞草研究所淲ithin 15 to 20 minutes Yukon started to get groggy害羞草研究所�. We actually had to stop traffic for a little bit, because he staggered out onto the road and passed out on the yellow line,害羞草研究所� he says.

Despite his skittish behaviour and his resistance to being captured, Sewell says Yukon was not truly aggressive, only scared.

害羞草研究所淎s soon as we got a leash on him, he climbed right up into the truck. Once in awhile you see a dog who is terrified, but would never think about using their mouth as a weapon,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檇 put Yukon in that category.害羞草研究所�

Sewell and the volunteers got Yukon safely into a truck and took him to the shelter for a meal and a warm place to sleep.

害羞草研究所淚 felt very badly for (Hayes),害羞草研究所� Sewell says. 害羞草研究所淚t wasn害羞草研究所檛 like an abandoned animal 害羞草研究所� he couldn害羞草研究所檛 turn back, he had to go. It couldn害羞草研究所檛 have been an easy decision. There害羞草研究所檚 a lot of traffic in that area害羞草研究所� for (Yukon) to hang out on that stretch of highway for two weeks without being hit is a miracle.害羞草研究所�

Now that Yukon was safely at shelter there was still the problem of how how to get him back to his family, Hayes says. The North Peace SPCA and the Watson Lake-based Yukon Animal Rescue Network (YARN) put their heads together and eventually got in touch with Edmonton-based Capital Trucking, who asked driver Nick Stoneburgh if he would let Yukon come up with him on his next Alaska Highway run.

Stoneburgh agreed.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e always tried to help people out 害羞草研究所� especially to do something like help kids get their dog home,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淢ost truckers have a really big heart.害羞草研究所�

On Nov. 28, Stoneburgh picked up Yukon from the shelter in Fort St. John in his shiny red Western Star rig. Yukon rode shotgun in the cab for two and half days with Stoneburgh, mostly sleeping curled up on his blanket and occasionally putting his two front paws up on the dash to look out the window at the road. It took him a while, Stoneburgh says, but towards the end of the trip Yukon warmed up to him a little, and even lay his head in his lap while he drove.

害羞草研究所淗e was very well behaved 害羞草研究所� better than some human passengers I害羞草研究所檝e had,害羞草研究所� he said with a laugh.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e been doing this route for years and early on (the other truckers) nick-named me 害羞草研究所楾he Yukon Kid害羞草研究所� because I was always so in love with the Yukon,害羞草研究所� Stoneburgh adds, 害羞草研究所淎nd here I am, delivering Yukon the dog home for Christmas.害羞草研究所�

On Nov. 30, at 5:30 p.m., Hayes met Stoneburgh at the U.S.-Canada border in Beaver Creek for the handoff. Hayes says that, on top of the sleigh-red truck, Stoneburg even looked a little bit like Santa.

害羞草研究所淣ick was just fantastic. It害羞草研究所檚 hard enough doing that route without a dog,害羞草研究所� Hayes says.

Hayes then drove home to North Pole with Yukon, where he was reunited with the rest of the family, where his 害羞草研究所渧ery excited kids害羞草研究所� were waiting.

害羞草研究所淥ur youngest is 15 months 害羞草研究所� he was the most excited out of all the kids,害羞草研究所� Hayes says. 害羞草研究所淵ukon is doing great.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 still cannot believe this whole adventure and how many people came together to help my dog,害羞草研究所� Hayes says, adding that, on top of returning his dog to his family, the SPCA also sent Yukon home with a new dog tag, complete with a Canadian flag on one side.

During the time Yukon was away, Hayes says his family started a crowdfunding page, which has raised $1,700 for the North Peace SPCA and YARN.

害羞草研究所淚 can害羞草研究所檛 believe all the good people in British Columbia and the Yukon,害羞草研究所� he says.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e just so moved and touched.害羞草研究所�

Contact Lori Fox at lori.fox@yukon-news.com