COLORADO SPRINGS — Nearly five months after their fur baby disappeared, a Colorado family still has hope of seeing their Bernese Mountain Dog again. Ripley disappeared on June 29 while her family was camping at the Lincoln Creek campground, which is on the Aspen side of Independence Pass.
In the hopes of finding her, owner Tiffany Lundberg set up a Facebook page called "Help us find Ripley the Bernese Mountain Dog." It has garnered over 3,000 followers and has reached people across the U.S. who are keeping an eye out for a Bernese that may be Ripley.
The story of the search for the beloved pet and potential sightings has remained popular with our audience.
Lundberg said it has been helpful that so many people are keeping an eye out for Ripley and that she has even received a phone call from someone in New York who thought they saw Ripley.
"It's been a huge roller coaster. Every time I get a 'Hey I think we saw her,' we get our hopes up," Lundberg said.
She said there was a potential sighting in Denver and Colorado Springs in September. The last potential sighting was in the beginning of October in the mountains of near I-70 and Evergreen, Colorado.
The page said there's a chance the dog could be with a male hitchhiker. The hitchhiker is described as 5'7" or 5'8" and weighs approximately 150 pounds. The man has strawberry blonde hair and was last seen with light-colored model skis with him.
Lundberg said Ripley has a distinct freckle on her nose and only has white "on her little toes," which helps set her apart from other Bernese dogs.
She asks anyone who spots a dog they believe to be Ripley to call her directly at (937) 559-3259 with information. She also asks people to take photos or videos until she and her husband can meet them or animal control arrives.
"It just hurts every time it ends up not being her. At the end of it, I am super grateful for everyone that cares or takes the time out of their day," she said.
