Minneapolis dog lost in the Boundary Waters rescued by campers, reunited with owner

A beloved dog is home safe after spending a night lost and alone in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota. 

Trooper, a 7-year-old rescue dog from Minneapolis, had stayed close to owner Millie Donoghue on past Boundary Waters trips, but he disappeared over the weekend in the remote wildnerness. 

Andrew Chemers was with a different group several miles away and found Trooper in some brush.   

"Trooper was reported missing somewhere in the area of Parent Lake. We found him all the way up [near Snowbank Lake], so at some point through the night he traveled quite a distance," Chemers said.

Donoghue calls the whole experience unbelievable. 

"I had been just like on my hands and knees at some points on the trails just crying, being like I've never felt so broken," Donoghue said. "And to just see my dog and know that he was healthy and alive was the most grateful I've ever felt."

Donoghue wants others to learn from her story. She said next time, Trooper will be on a leash and have a tracker.