10/17/2026
On Saturday, October 10, a fluffy white dog named LouLou set off on a mountain adventure in Alaska. 🏔️
LouLou is a 4-year-old poodle-husky mix, and she loves the outdoors. That day, she was hiking with her owner, Brian, and his friend in Chugach State Park, near Eklutna Lake, just outside Anchorage. Both men were experienced climbers.
Then the mountain gave way.
A massive slab of snow broke loose and slammed into them. The avalanche swept the two men about 500 feet down the side of the mountain.
Somehow, both of them survived, but they were badly injured, with broken bones, and were rushed to the hospital.
And LouLou was gone.
Nobody knew if she'd been buried under the snow, thrown down the mountain, injured, or was hiding somewhere, terrified and alone.
Thousands of miles away, LouLou's mom, Lauren, was overseas celebrating her dad's 80th birthday when she got the call. Once she knew Brian was alive, she had only one thought: bring LouLou home.
She barely slept. She posted in every Alaska hiking and pet group she could find. "I just wanted to exhaust every resource I had," she said.
And Alaska answered. 💙
Strangers offered their helicopters. Drone pilots joined the search. More than 20 people went out into the freezing mountains to look for a dog they had never met.
The hours ticked by. One night passed. Then a second. Temperatures dropped below freezing.
But there was one tiny clue keeping hope alive: the Apple AirTag on LouLou's collar kept sending signals from the same area of the mountain.
After almost 50 hours, two volunteers, Amanda Barker and Dave Beckett, got another ping. They jumped back in a helicopter and flew toward the signal.
And there she was.
A little white dog, sitting on the snowy mountainside, looking up at the helicopter as if she'd been waiting for them all along. 🤍
She had survived an avalanche and two freezing nights alone, and she was barely hurt.
On the flight home, LouLou got all the pets and cuddles she could ever want. Now she's back home, resting and safe.
💡 If your dog goes on adventures with you, put a tracker on their collar. It might be what brings them home.
