Hiker and His Dog Save Missing Golden Retriever Puppy from Frigid, Abandoned Coal Pit

Mar. 15, 2025

Joe and Pam Palko with Freddy.Photo:Dr, Carolyn Canizaro-Orlowsky photo via AP

Dr, Carolyn Canizaro-Orlowsky photo via AP

A hiker and his dog helped bring a lost puppy home to his family.

Freddy went missing on Feb. 17, and his owners, Pam and Joe Palko, did everything possible to bring their pup home — social media pleas, assembling search parties, collecting tips, and distributing flyers. The couple even enlisted two companies to help with this search, one that employs search dogs and another that uses drones,

Most of Pottsville County was looking for Freddy, so when Leidy spotted the pup in the coal pit, he immediately recognized him as the missing dog. Now that Freddy was found, the next challenge was freeing the dog. Leidy discovered the puppy stuck 10 feet down in the pit.

The Palkos were following a lead at a local shelter when Joe got a notification that someone was at their door with Freddy. The couple quickly returned home to find Freddy “a little frantic, hungry, and confused,” said their neighbor and retired veterinarian, Dr. Carolyn Canizaro-Orlowsky.

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Joe and Pam told AP they “never give up hope” they would reunite with Freddy, but as time passed, their “hopes were getting smaller.” The couple’s anxiety shifted to elation when Freddy returned to them slightly underweight but otherwise in a healthy condition.

“There’s a big collective sigh of relief,” Canizaro-Orlowsky said. “It’s a neat lesson not to give up.”

source: people.com