07-07-2025
Dog rescued from remote area northwest of Willcox after staying by dead owner's side
Search and rescue teams found a dog that stayed with their owner who died in an isolated area of southern Arizona.
On July 5, a search and rescue team with the Cochise County Sheriff's Office found a vehicle in a "very remote" area north of Muleshoe Ranch, about an hour northwest of Willcox.
A small dog remained near the vehicle after their owner died under unknown circumstances, according to a Cochise County Sheriff's Office Search & Rescue Facebook post.
The small gray dog initially ran off but was safely caught, the group said.
John Merten, who commented on the post, said that he encountered the dog.
"I stumbled upon this scene yesterday and was unable to catch the dog. I did feed him a sandwich and left water for him," Merten said.
The team noted this was not the first time a pet was found to have stayed with their owner under tragic circumstances.
"This truly shows the devotion and love a pet has for their person," read the post.
The dog was now at a shelter, according to the team.
The owner's identity was not known, as of July 6.
Contact reporter Rey Covarrubias Jr. at rcovarrubias@ Follow him on Instagram, X, Threads and Bluesky: @ReyCJrAZ.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Rescues find dog who stayed with dead owner in remote southern AZ
