Missing 85-year-old’s dog Poncho helps rescuers find her in woods, CA cops say
A missing 85-year-old woman’s dog became the “unsung hero” in her rescue in California, deputies said.
The woman with dementia was last seen at her retirement community, Skyline Place, Aug. 22 or Aug. 23 in Sonora, the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
It was believed she had taken her tan Chihuahua mixed dog, Poncho, on a walk, deputies said, but she never came back.
Search and rescue teams looked for her Aug. 24 and began getting reports from residents who said they saw Poncho, deputies said.
Then a more promising lead came in at about 9 p.m.
A resident saw Poncho run from a roadway and into the woods, deputies said, so they reported it to rescuers, and a team hiked 70 feet down an embankment to search for her.
Rescuers found Poncho hiding under brush, and they found his missing owner “asleep on the ground” nearby, deputies said.
The woman was loaded into a litter and carried up the steep embankment with a rope system, deputies said.
She was then taken to a hospital, deputies said.
Poncho ran away from rescuers and wasn’t found until two days later.
He was taken to Tuolumne County Animal Control and will be reunited with his owner.
Sonora is about a 50-mile drive northeast from Modesto.
This story was originally published August 27, 2025 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Missing 85-year-old’s dog Poncho helps rescuers find her in woods, CA cops say."
