Colorado - Steve Maa, his girlfriend Kate, and their dog Rocky were heading west to California, as Steve had landed a new job. During a stopover, the little family's perfect world suddenly fell apart at the seams.

Steve and Kate stopped off for a day of skiing in the snowy mountains of Colorado.

Meanwhile, their furry friend Rocky was supposed to be looked after by a dog sitter. But things turned out differently!

A noise frightened Rocky, and the little guy escaped into the mountains at an elevation of 10,000 feet.

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Steve and Kate searched until 3 AM during a snowstorm, but to no avail.

In desperation, the young man asked the local mayor for advice, who, according to nj.com, put him in touch with animal rescuer Brandon Ciullo.

Ciullo and his team didn't hesitate: wildlife cameras were installed, and appeals were launched via social media.

"Steve was definitely concerned that Rocky wasn't going to survive the night," Ciullo said.

"I explained to him, we've been doing this for 10 years. My biggest worry and concern is vehicles, then wildlife, and then environment."

After three days of searching, the four-legged friend was caught on camera for the first time. The animal rescuers located Rocky, made visual contact, and Steve was told to approach his pet.

Sadly, Rocky – still in "survival mode" – was too scared and ran away again.

He would be missing for another 40 days.

For more than a week, 16 hours a day, Steve searched for his dog after the traumatic experience.

But as the first day of his new job awaited, he had to put all his trust in Brandon Ciullo.

Together with his team and volunteers, the animal rescuer combed the mountainous terrain for more than a month.

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When almost everyone had given up hope, Ciullo received positive news after 43 uncertain days: a local resident's door camera had captured a black dog.

Ciullo showed the footage to the now desperate Steve, who confirmed that it was his Rocky.

Now the animal rescuer got down to business. Ciullo set up a trap and coated it with peanut butter. After three hours, it was done: Rocky had slipped inside.

The poor dog lost half his body weight, going from about 50 to 26 pounds. The furry friend was taken straight to a vet, after which Rocky was given four days to recover before returning to his owners.

"Getting to see Rocky and seeing how happy he was to see me was definitely very emotional," Steve said.

"It was amazing. It's what we put hundreds and hundreds of hours into," Ciullo added, clearly also touched. "He's the only dog I've ever cried over… These reunions are why we do what we do.”

"It didn't seem like his personality or his emotions had changed at all, so that was super comforting to see and surprising," Steve added.

"I feel like he jumped straight back into his old personality and just being a cuddle bug."