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| Onyx before the Saga |
Where do I begin? Hmm. How about the beginning? We decided we wanted a dog. We both owned a Cockapoo at one time. My husband had experience with Golden Retrievers. So we settled on wanting a Golden Doodle. This dog has been one of the most popular pets since the Pandemic of 2020. Why? Well, it’s obvious. They are a large energetic breed with teddy bear looks. They are very smart, hypo-allergenic, and … maybe most of all for us … they don’t shed!
So, we made the decision to start looking for a Golden Doodle to purchase from a breeder. Mistake #1. We went to a large company online that sells all sorts of dogs “with reputable breeders” in their employ. Along with that quote, came a large price. The price was justified with warranties and delivery benefits. What we found out later was that you get the same warranties and (sometimes) delivery benefits from any breeder that really cares about their one litter that they want to sell. And, to add to the attraction, Mom & Pop breeders sell their pups for almost half the price of the big breeding companies! Not to mention, they really care about the few puppies that they have bred and raised from tiny butterballs.
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| Telephone Canyon Road |
We found Onyx in a large litter of ten brothers and sisters in Lubbock, Texas. My husband was in Amarillo at the time, helping out his daughter and granddaughter. He traveled to Lubbock and picked up Onyx. Then, after about 2 weeks, he brought her home to Las Vegas. He had already created quite a bond with the little puppy that was growing fast and starting to learn the ropes. I was disappointed that I was not able to be in on this part of the raising and bonding process. But, I thought, all dogs like me and I’ll just turn on the charm when she gets here.
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| John rising at Onyx Point after sleeping in the Car |
When she got here, she said hello and everything seemed normal. However, the first time I went outside onto our back porch, she got very agitated and began biting me (okay, maybe nipping). I guess she wanted me to stay in the house. As time progressed, we found that anywhere outside (front or back) seemed to be a place she didn’t want us to be. The biting (nipping) migrated to indoors. Hmm. I had never encountered a dog like that. Actually, I had never encountered a dog that was so interested in biting me in her own house. At first, she didn’t bite John so I thought perhaps she had just bonded with him and it would only be a matter of time until she warmed up to me and didn’t bite me either.
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| Kay and Rita arriving at Onyx Point |
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| Birds on trail Camera |
Weeks turned into months. She continued to bite me even inside the house. She also began to bite John. Maybe this doesn’t sound like a big deal but sometimes she drew blood. (I updated my tetanus shot!) But, my biggest complaint was where she chose to bite me sometimes. Yes, my crotch! WHAAT????? Then it was my butt. I walked around all the time with bite bruises on my legs and arms. So did John. (My dermatologist did question me about the marks!)
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| Deer on trail Camera |
Yes, I complained to anyone who would listen. Everyone had a solution. The only thing we didn’t try was taking her to a very expensive trainer. The less expensive trainers only had dogs learning the easy stuff that Onyx had been taught the first week we had her. It didn’t make sense to us to spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars on training when she is so smart. We thought we should be able to teach her to be “nice” ourselves. We tried to take into account that she is too smart for her own britches. But, she had other assumptions.
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| Birds on trail Camera |
I began hiking with her in Mt. Charleston out of necessity. It was simply too hot to walk with her in our Las Vegas neighborhood on the asphalt. Even the middle of the night was too hot for weeks. I had the idea to make her a hiking dog anyway so off, we went. Only the easier hikes and not more than 3.5 miles. She was still a pup, after all.
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| Mountain Lion on trail Camera |
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| Deer family on trail Camera |
She loved to hike. She would stop every ten feet and listen or peruse the scenery. For that reason, most of my hiking friends didn’t have the patience to take her along. I resorted to taking her either on my own or with a patient friend or two that also owned dogs. The hikes were all about the dogs … not the hikers. I took her on different trails all the time. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I was thinking that it was important for her to get to know the mountains, the trails and the water sources. I don’t know why. I guess you always have that in your head while praying that you would always be there to show her the way. I showed her the South Loop Trail, Deer Creek Trail, South Sister Trail and Lower Bristlecone / Old Mill Loop when the weather continued to be hot.
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| Deer family on trail Camera |
We started moving down to the middle elevations as the weather cooled just a little. Sawmill Trailhead. Macks Canyon Road. Juniper Trailhead. Robbers Roost. And, finally, Stepladder Trailhead and all trails that come with that nice large starting point. One day, my hiking buddy, Rita and I took Onyx for a loop hike starting at Stepladder Trailhead and heading over toward Telephone Canyon Road.
We crossed the dirt road and half-heartedly tried to get over to the Lower Showgirl Trail. We missed the trail crossing (we were talking too much!) and ended back on Telephone Canyon Road. After going up the road just a short distance, we crossed over to the Lower Showgirl up on the little ridge. The trail took us up to the Green Trail traverse that ends by crossing Telephone Canyon Road on up toward Robbers Roost. Looking forward to an easy descent back to the car, we connected with Tin Can Alley.
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| Deer family on trail Camera |
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| Fox on trail Camera |
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| Two foxes on trail Camera |
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| Fox on trail Camera |
But, on this day, three teenagers rode up behind Rita and I on a narrow rocky portion of the trail. Without the sometimes whooping and hollering about the thrill of the trail, the bikes are quiet and the kids are concentrating. I have heard that, in other countries, a bell on the bike is required. I don’t know if this is true but it is a good idea. It is the rare bicyclist in the Spring Mountains that chooses a bell as an announcement when riding up behind hikers. Most of the more aware young people who ride the trails either yell a “coming through” sort of warning. And, nicely, many of the leaders of a group of bikers will announce how many bicyclists are coming up behind them. Hikers have no problem with this. And, remember, it is the hikers and animals that have the right of way … officially.
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| Two foxes on trail Camera |
So, back to the story.
These three teenagers quietly came up behind us and didn’t even stop. At about that time, I turned slightly to see what the commotion was. At the same time, a jeep that had been riding up then down Telephone Canyon Road, located only thirty feet to our left at this point on the trail, revved its engine as it descended the dirt road. All of this, the bike commotion, my being startled, and the loud jeep, also startled Onyx. She is already a nervous pup of 9.5 months at this point. At the exact time that I had turned to see what was going on behind Rita and I, Onyx took off down the trail like a bat out of hell! In no time, she had me off balance. Essentially, I was flying down the trail with little control, determined to hold onto the leash. I was being pulled with no leverage just looking for a “soft” place to land. I knew I was going down. It was just a matter of “where.” Finally, after about forty feet, I chose a sandy wash. There were just a few larger rocks around. As I went down, I was hoping to miss the worst of the rocks. I ended up face-planting in the mostly sandy gravel but my leg and hip hit the larger rocks that came before the sand. I felt like I was flying through the air before I landed on the ground with head to toe hitting the hard terrain all at the same time.
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| Perhaps a coyote Pup? Foxes are afraid of the Light - Food and water at Onyx Point |
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| Dog passing By |
I didn’t feel Onyx’s leash being released from my hand. And, from my point of view, I slowly got up off the ground, stood up and looked over to see Rita talking to a couple of bicyclists. I found out later that one of the bicyclists was the only one out of the three bicyclists that had stopped to see if they could render aid. They looked at me and I said something weird like, “I had a dog, right?” A few moments went by and I said, “She’s black, right?” I looked around and said to Rita, “I think we go that way” while indicating the correct direction down the trail. Being a hike leader for many years, that was a very weird feeling … not knowing which direction to go. One guy that had been talking to Rita came over and asked how I was. I told him I was fine. I had no idea until much later that I had been unconscious for 3-5 minutes … so I was told. At the time, I just wanted to find Onyx. She was just a faraway responsibility that my instinct told me I needed to attend to. My brain was woozy so when we started hiking down the trail, I felt wobbly. The guy watched me for a minute or two then said that we should wait “right there” because he was going to go for an ambulance.
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| Dog and owner passing By |
Not knowing I had fell unconscious, I really thought he was being over dramatic! (I look old but I’m not out of shape!) He rode off toward the BLM fire station a half mile away. Rita was trying to encourage me to stay put but I was very concerned about Onyx. We continued hiking slowly down Telephone Canyon Road knowing that the ambulance would come from that direction. I thought that, perhaps Onyx would have followed the road down and back to the cars at the trailhead. Since she wasn’t anywhere to be seen, that was my best guess. My only guess.
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| Dog and horse passing By |
Soon, Rita and I saw the ambulance driving up the high clearance dirt road. We found out later that it had come from the town of Mt. Charleston on up Kyle Canyon. Well, since it was there, we stopped and allowed the paramedics to do their thing. I checked out okay but they recommended that I go to see a doctor for a slight concussion. Sure. Okay. Let me find my dog first!
Okay, FIRST, I called my husband. He dropped everything and drove up the mountain. He had been painting the house!
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| Dog passing By |
Onyx’s point of view:
Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! Those bikes! Oh my God! What do I do? Where do I go? I just go! Go! Go! Go! The bikes are right behind me and I don’t know where that monster went that was on the road near me! Just turn right, Onyx! Up. Go uphill. Go uphill fast!
All I was doing was minding my own business and suddenly I was being pursued. Luckily, my basic instincts kicked in. Yeah. Somewhere deep inside me, something told me to either turn and fight or run like h_e_double hockey sticks. I didn’t stop to argue. I wouldn’t know what to say anyway. All I know is I had to get out of there. And, fast! Run. Run. Run. I will lose the bikes up this hill away from the trail. I ran and ran until I couldn’t go up any more. Where am I? Cliffs everywhere! I don’t think my Mom ever brought me here. Turning to the right, the hill was very steep and slippery. Whoa! In my haste, I slipped down the hill a few feet. Stopping, I sat and looked back down the hill. The bikes are gone. The monster is gone. I took care of the situation. … I think. … Where am I? Oh, heck! Oh, heck! Oh, heck!
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| Amora |
Do, ti-do, ti-do. Hmm. It sure got quiet. I heard someone yell “Onyx!” Who’s that? Maybe I’ll just stay here for a while. More people yelled. I saw people were traveling the trail below. I have to keep moving. I’ll be very careful to stay hidden. Yikes! What was that? It was small and hairy. It sure could move fast. I think it went in that hole under the stump. I’ll think about that later. Right now, I could really use a hiding place.
I walked and walked all through the woods careful not to get on one of those trail things that have scary bikes and monsters on them. Faintly, I could smell Eau d’ Mom and Dad. So I turned to follow the smell. I snuck back to parallel (I bet you didn’t think I knew that word, huh?) the trail. But there were so many smells I couldn’t find the right one. Yes. I think this is the place where Mom should be. … Where is she? Where did she go? Oh my God! More bikes coming down the pipe! Run! Run! Run!
This is where things get very fuzzy. I was trying to follow the scents but there were so many. I wanted to get back to Mom or the car or Rita or …. I started feeling like that dog in the movie that Mom watched on television one day last year. The dog wandered and wandered. In the end, the dog wandered home. Yes, maybe if I just wander and wander, I’ll end up home. It’s starting to get dark. I scratched out a circle in the forest floor and laid down for the night. I could see in every direction.
Sometime in the night, the wind whipped up! I never felt such strong wind before. It took me a while to realize it wasn’t alive. Just wind that didn’t stop, didn’t sleep, didn’t feed, didn’t love, …. The next day, there were Mom’s friends all over the area. I’m not sure what they were doing but I tried to stay hidden. The bikes and the road monster were still fresh in my memory. The people were calling “Onyx” a lot. I didn’t know who this Onyx person was. I also heard whistles; another odd sound for me although a little more intriguing. But, I stayed put. Yes, I admit it. I was scared. Me, the super-smart Golden-Doodle, was really feeling like I had gotten myself into a real bind. I can’t find Mom. I can’t find the car. And, I can’t find Rita. And, is that Dad’s smell wafting in the wind as well?
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| Onyx after 43 tough Days |
You know? That first night, I thought I kept getting a whiff of Dad! But, the wind was so strong. I was afraid to move. I could feel Dad’s presence. Yes, I love my Dad. But, this fight or flight instinct was messing up my game. Onyx? I felt I should know this word. I couldn’t place the smells. The wind was terrible. And, those bikes and the monster. I was in a dither. Just survive! Just survive! Just survive. … I sure am thirsty.
The next day, it was more of the same. I had to keep moving. I was scared of the people. I was scared of the fast little rodents. Every once in a while, I see smaller critters. They weren’t hairy. But, they got out of my way fast! Ha! They are scared of me! That was a good feeling. Now, the smells were all over the place. I had no idea which way was safe nor which way was food. I was really getting hungry. Now, where was that water I drank yesterday. Geez! I’m all turned around. Just keep moving.
The next day, things got quieter. By then, I was so messed up I didn’t know which way was up. I’m just a puppy. My brain is not finished developing. (You know. Like those bicyclists. Mais, I digress.) Something in me is trying to say, “Go back to the place …. Now, what happened?” Sometimes I thought I was at a familiar place and nobody was there. There was a strong smell of … well, it was familiar. Maybe my Dad. Do I have a Dad? Do I have a Mom? Oh! Pine nuts! Yummy! I’ll just lay here and feast on pine nuts.
As the days moved on, I got further and further away from point zero. At night, I would see silent long legged graceful creatures go by. I also saw many elusive bushy tailed creatures that were quick and sly. I shared this forest with others that seemed to also be looking for food and water. So, often, I would sneak behind them and follow them to water. One day, I hit pay dirt! It was the biggest water bowl I’ve ever seen. Long and narrow and I could get up to it from either the back or the rocks strategically placed in front. This was a good place to remember if I could but I can’t just stay in this area. Still looking for food. During the day, I would just wander and watch those little furry creatures scurry around.
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| Amora meet Onyx - Onyx meet Amora |
I guess I had moved on when my Mom and Dad placed one of their trail cameras at the big water trough one day. Later, they told me that that was a very good thing! The very next day, the new trail camera caught photos of a mountain lion sidling up to the trough for a drink. It appeared to be a mother lion with cubs to feed. She was obviously on the hunt. She never appeared on camera again but Mom and Dad told me they found freshly preyed on deer bones near the point zero where it all began. (BTW, there was oral permission given to Mom and Dad to set up trail cameras during their monumental effort to find me. Those Mt. Charleston police are fantastic animal lovers and wanted to help any way they could.)
Mom and Dad told me that they were up in that area every day for a long while and, out of exhaustion, changed to every other day, every two days and, finally … they decided I was not there anymore. I believe they and everyone they talked to thought I had been picked up by someone and kept. After all, I AM a very beautiful dog. Well, not so much after I lost a quarter of my weight. But, they tell me I’ll gain it back.
Finally, I got up the nerve to catch one of those little furry quick animals. You can believe I was really hungry. So, yuck, yuck, yuck, I ate it! Well, it was good in my tummy anyway. Somehow, I also kept finding water in odd places.
I was moving slowly in the direction of this large house on the hill. It had a big round bubble thing high above one side. Getting up to the house was not an easy feat but the smell of food emanating from it pushed me on. I reached the house in the dark. Seeing people going in and out of the front side of the house told me I needed to stay stealthy. I started inspecting the perimeter. Oh boy! Oh boy! There was a very large trash bin on the side of the house. I laid there watching and, over the course of a few hours, I saw people going in and out of a door carrying bags. Every time the door opened, I could smell food. (At least I think it was food!) Mom and Dad never gave me any of their food but … there’s a first time for everything. I rummaged through the bags that didn’t quite make it into the bin. Most of it was NOT food. But, … oh yes, oh yes, oh yes! There were a few bites of food in the bottom of the bag. Another person came out the good smelling door and I had to run. But, the next night, I returned.
I had to pass by some windows on my way around to the trash bin. That night, there were a handful of residents / youths looking out while they laughed and talked. I didn’t know it but I had been spotted. The residents went to their supervisor / officer in charge to tell him about the “black poodle” they had seen outside the window in the dark. Well, okay, I guess I look like a poodle. (No offense, DogMama). The officer didn’t believe them at first. Finally, the youths convinced him to go look. He went outside and couldn’t find me. I had run away with the little strength I had. But, the obvious animal lover wouldn’t give up. He searched for me, found me, and also found my collar that had fallen off nearby.
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| Welcome Home Onyx |
My husband and I had just settled down for our long winter’s nap and the phone rang! John had had the phone placed in “anyone can get through-mode” ever since Onyx had gotten lost. He jumped out of bed so forcefully that it scared me! Up until this point, he had asked scam callers to send him a photo when they lied about finding Onyx. This time, I heard respect in his voice as he spoke through the phone. I knew something was different but I dared not believe that it was a legitimate call about Onyx. Then I heard him asking if she was alive. I knew then that our search was finally over 43 days after it began.
John was on “GO.” He met the officer at a nearby parking lot. Oh my God! Onyx was so skinny. John took her immediately to an overnight emergency veterinarian. There, the doctors took her blood to check for organ function and checked her bones. After about 2 hours, Onyx walked out with John having a pretty good bill of health. She desperately needed a groom and they sent him home with a restricted eating schedule. (1/3 cup of puppy food every four hours). This amount of food increases with each week. The restricted eating is there so that her insides don’t get blocked up and twisted around. This would kill her. So, the food has to be kept at a constant slow flow.
Onyx isn’t too happy with her restricted eating schedule. She really wants to eat everything in the house! But, she is regaining her strength every day. Her traumatized body and mind is healing and, last night, she was finally curled up sleeping soundly; a sight for our exhausted eyes.
So, two days before Onyx returned home, we had finally given up and bought a standard poodle puppy. It was at an excellent price from a wonderful Mom and Pop breeder. We had gone to Arizona to pick her up on Saturday. I had had many talks with God through the whole ordeal but the last one, on Friday, was a prayer for Onyx and John who needed this dog like a person needs a heart and lungs. The next day, we had the poodle, Amora, and, on Monday, we had Onyx back.
We had already agreed between us that if Onyx came home, we would keep both dogs and be happy. We are.
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| Hello Amora! |
John’s story
On September 15, 2024, Kay and Onyx (our 10 month old puppy) were basically run over by three mountain bikers on the Tin Can Alley Trail at Mount Charleston. Most mountain bikers there are very polite and properly yield to pedestrians and animals but these three forgot the rules. Kay fell and was unconscious. Onyx was spooked, pulled the leash off of Kay's wrist and ran off to hide from the bikers. Two of the three bikers did not stop to render any aid. Another biker behind them called an ambulance. So with the fear of the bikers and the sound of the ambulance, Onyx was no where to be found. Kay recovered well. Onyx was chipped and also had an AirTag on her collar. Her harness was bright purple. That probably got chewed off quickly.
Now normally a dog will return to the separation point at sometime but I guess fear and survival instincts take over and it is unpredictable what they will do. I went to the separation point to look for her. Onyx was nowhere to be found.
I decided to spend 6 days and 6 nights at the separation point in case she came back. I took clothes and other items there so she could smell the scent and possibly return to the separation point. No sign of Onyx!
After the six nights, I starting staying at home at night and spending all day at the separation point for the next 15 days. Absolutely no sightings and no trace of Onyx anywhere.
We coordinated a drone search but nothing was found. I printed hundreds of flyers and they were posted everywhere. Residents of Mount Charleston were leaving water and food outside their homes in case she wandered into town. Everyone, including many hikers, rock climbers and residents on the mountain were searching for her but not a single sighting.
Six weeks passed, we and others did multiple hikes within a 3-5 mile area. No sightings and no trace of her anywhere. We did see deer, tons of foxes and also a mountain lion through the use of a once permitted trail camera.
We had all but given up hope that she was even in that area and if so, would still be alive. It was like a story with no ending.
Six weeks and two days later October 28, 2024, I received a call about 8:30pm from Officer M. of the Spring Mountain Youth Camp asking if we were missing a dog. I said yes and he said he had her with him. The youth at the camp had spotted her and Officer M. captured her. I said I will come and get her and he said that he would bring her to me. Onyx had lost a lot of weight and her hair was very matted but no broken bones and no open cuts.
I took her directly to the emergency veterinary group to get her checked out. All organs were functioning properly, blood counts were off as expected and they developed a course of recovery for Onyx.
The fact that a 10 month old puppy can survive in the forest for more than six weeks with dangers all around and find her way to the youth camp three miles up steep incline through thick forested area is a true miracle for this wonderful puppy. She was determined to be found by the right people that would bring her back home safely.
A thank you to all the people that spent so much time hiking the trails, posting flyers and supporting Onyx's safe return home!
A true miracle on Mount Charleston!
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