Idaho DOT Crews Locate Dog Missing After October Crash, Return to Elderly Owners

A happy ending, almost improbable in southeastern Idaho.

  A puppy missing since late October will be reunited with family

The Idaho Department of Transportation says thanks to several determined workers, a dog that was thought to be gone forever is headed home.

While working near Spencer, north of Idaho Falls, two workers saw a small Daschund-type puppy streak across four lanes of traffic, and narrowly avoid being hit by a semi.

The two workers, Joe and Kurt, decided to see if they could locate the dog, as it was unlikely it would be there intentionally. The dog had disappeared into grass and weeds, but they set out some traps they got from the Snake River Animal Shelter, and a few days later, they were able to capture the dog whose name was Tessa.

It turns out the dog went missing following a crash.

They learned the dog was being looked for, her owners were an elderly couple from Canada who were involved in a crash near that spot in late October. Sadly, the man died, his wife survived, but thought her dog was gone forever. The crash had happened on I-15 not far from that area.

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Idaho DOT was able to notify the woman her dog had been found, and now DOT worker Joe and his wife are headed to Butte Montana to meet  the elderly woman's son. He will then take Tessa home to his family in Canada.

Idaho DOT says the sadness of the man's death will continue, but they're hopeful the return of their pup will help with comfort and closure.  A story of miraculous survival.