Colorado Springs, Colorado – They had only had Ruger the dog for three days when he ran away at the end of May 2025. Yet Chad Woodruff and his wife Carrie from Colorado were extremely worried!

As soon as their new dog Ruger disappeared, they frantically searched for him, posting countless updates on social media.

The dog hadn’t actually vanished completely, as he was spotted repeatedly around the area.

But in the winter things got strange – the former pet seemed to be living alongside coyotes.

Cats Man throws kittens out of moving car on busy highway in horrific act of cruelty

The wild animals and the four‑legged creature were spotted several times on a golf course.

Apparently, Ruger not only lived with them temporarily but also lived inside one of their dens to survive the cold winter.

The main problem: whenever anyone tried to grab Ruger, he made a run for it. It was simply impossible to bring him back home.

His owner took the coyotes’ turn surprisingly calmly.

"I wasn't horrified at all – I was happy to know the pack accepted him enough that he was kept safe," Carrie Woodruff told The Dodo in an interview.

Ruger’s adventure lasted almost a year. Then, in mid‑May of 2026, he became a bit careless when wildlife officers from the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region finally managed to catch him.

What the residents and volunteer helpers couldn’t achieve, the professionals eventually pulled off successfully – they caught the long‑term escapee.

"His fur was a bit dirty, but considering how long he was loose for, I'm surprised at how clean he was," Officer Roe of the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region told The Dodo.

He said the dog showed no injuries.

Cats Stray cat begs woman to adopt her – then comes the scary part

Thus, nothing stood in the way of a swift reunion with his owners.

But did Ruger even want to return to the human world?

"Once we had reunited him with his owner, you wouldn't believe he was the same dog," Officer Roe said.

"He was allowing everyone in the room to give him pets and was leaning, in an affectionate way, against his owner," he added.

Ruger’s owner, Carrie Woodruff, reported something similar.

To her surprise, the pup quickly settled back into his old life as if nothing had happened!