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 香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播渢ook off香蕉视频直播� Hayes says.

香蕉视频直播淪omehow, Yukon just slipped right out of his collar and left my brother-in-law holding an empty leash,香蕉视频直播� Hayes says.

香蕉视频直播淲e called and called, but he didn香蕉视频直播檛 come back.香蕉视频直播�

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 香蕉视频直播� another six hours from the rest stop 香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淚t broke my heart,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淏ut I just couldn香蕉视频直播檛 go back to get him.香蕉视频直播�

Compounding matters, Yukon wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 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香蕉视频直播檛 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.

香蕉视频直播淗e香蕉视频直播檚 really, really shy,香蕉视频直播� Hayes says. 香蕉视频直播淗e just wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 let anyone get within touching distance.香蕉视频直播�

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香蕉视频直播檛 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.

香蕉视频直播淗e got sleepy,香蕉视频直播� says Sewell. 香蕉视频直播淏ut he would still avoid (the volunteers).香蕉视频直播�

Seeing no other option, Sewell went out himself and 香蕉视频直播渄arted香蕉视频直播� Yukon twice with a tranquilizer gun.

香蕉视频直播淲ithin 15 to 20 minutes Yukon started to get groggy香蕉视频直播�. We actually had to stop traffic for a little bit, because he staggered out onto the road and passed out on the yellow line,香蕉视频直播� he says.

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

香蕉视频直播淎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,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檇 put Yukon in that category.香蕉视频直播�

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.

香蕉视频直播淚 felt very badly for (Hayes),香蕉视频直播� Sewell says. 香蕉视频直播淚t wasn香蕉视频直播檛 like an abandoned animal 香蕉视频直播� he couldn香蕉视频直播檛 turn back, he had to go. It couldn香蕉视频直播檛 have been an easy decision. There香蕉视频直播檚 a lot of traffic in that area香蕉视频直播� for (Yukon) to hang out on that stretch of highway for two weeks without being hit is a miracle.香蕉视频直播�

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.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e always tried to help people out 香蕉视频直播� especially to do something like help kids get their dog home,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淢ost truckers have a really big heart.香蕉视频直播�

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.

香蕉视频直播淗e was very well behaved 香蕉视频直播� better than some human passengers I香蕉视频直播檝e had,香蕉视频直播� he said with a laugh.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e been doing this route for years and early on (the other truckers) nick-named me 香蕉视频直播楾he Yukon Kid香蕉视频直播� because I was always so in love with the Yukon,香蕉视频直播� Stoneburgh adds, 香蕉视频直播淎nd here I am, delivering Yukon the dog home for Christmas.香蕉视频直播�

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.

香蕉视频直播淣ick was just fantastic. It香蕉视频直播檚 hard enough doing that route without a dog,香蕉视频直播� Hayes says.

Hayes then drove home to North Pole with Yukon, where he was reunited with the rest of the family, where his 香蕉视频直播渧ery excited kids香蕉视频直播� were waiting.

香蕉视频直播淥ur youngest is 15 months 香蕉视频直播� he was the most excited out of all the kids,香蕉视频直播� Hayes says. 香蕉视频直播淵ukon is doing great.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淚 still cannot believe this whole adventure and how many people came together to help my dog,香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淚 can香蕉视频直播檛 believe all the good people in British Columbia and the Yukon,香蕉视频直播� he says.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e just so moved and touched.香蕉视频直播�

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