Help Duke Heal After 16 Days Lost in the Wilderness ❤️

After 16 terrifying days of searching, hoping, praying, and refusing to give up, our beloved Duke was finally found alive.

A thermal drone flown by Bruce Rengo with Central MN Drone Service located Duke, and we were finally able to bring our boy home. We immediately rushed him to BluePearl Animal Hospital for emergency care.

What Duke survived during those 16 days is heartbreaking. At some point while he was alone in the wilderness, Duke was violently attacked by an unknown animal. He came home with multiple bite wounds across his back end. Whatever attacked him, Duke fought to survive and got away.

Our boy is a fighter.

In just 16 days, Duke lost an unbelievable 17 pounds. He came home weak, injured, and dramatically underweight. He also has a giant, painful hot spot on his neck, and we are now concerned that he may have a hernia.

Duke also has epilepsy and requires medication twice a day to control his seizures. Somehow, he survived 16 days alone without that medication. He endured the elements, went without enough food, lost 17 pounds, and survived a violent animal attack.

Duke fought like hell to make it home, and now we’re going to fight just as hard to help him recover. ❤️

Duke isn’t just a dog to our family. He was originally my father’s dog. My dad unexpectedly passed away on Vietnam Veterans Day in 2019, leaving Duke with my mom and me to “co-parent.”

Duke became one of the last living pieces of my dad that we still had with us. In a way, having Duke here has always made it feel like a little piece of my dad is still here too, watching over and protecting us. That’s why giving up on finding Duke was never an option.

Then, on the very same day we finally found Duke, my mom fell and broke her hip.

I went from the overwhelming relief of finally getting Duke back to trying to care for my injured boy while also helping my mom through a broken hip. I’m doing my best to juggle it all and make sure they both get the care they need.

Duke is now continuing his care at Isaacson Veterinary Hospital in Park Rapids, Minnesota. His recovery is far from over. Between his emergency treatment at BluePearl and his ongoing veterinary care, we’re facing expenses for exams, medications, wound care, treatment of his injuries, the possible hernia, and whatever else may be needed to help him safely regain his weight and strength.

So many people followed Duke’s story. You shared his posts, searched the roads and woods, prayed for him, sent messages, offered help, and refused to give up on him with us. Many of you are also the ones who encouraged me to finally start this GoFundMe.

Asking for help isn’t easy for me, but right now I truly need it.

We’ve set a goal to help cover Duke’s emergency and ongoing veterinary expenses. Any amount, no matter how small, helps and will go toward getting our boy healthy again.

For anyone who would rather contribute directly toward his veterinary expenses, donations can also be made directly to Isaacson Veterinary Hospital in Park Rapids, Minnesota, toward Duke’s care.

After 16 days of wondering if we would ever see him again, we got our boy back.

He fought to stay alive.

He fought off whatever attacked him.

He fought his way through 16 days alone.

Now it’s our turn to fight for him. ❤️

From the bottom of my heart, thank you to every single person who searched, shared, prayed, helped bring Duke home, and is standing beside us through what comes next.

We will never forget the kindness you’ve shown our family and our boy. ❤️