Boo! "Ghost" dog wanders the desert until animal lovers step in
Tucson, Arizona - A dog named Ghost is a real survivor, as he weathered life in the Arizona desert for at least nine long months.
Boo!
Animal lovers in Tuscon, Arizona were relieved when a dog named Ghost was finally nailed down to ensure his safe rescue.
Residents first spotted the dog wandering in the desert in May 2023, KGUN 9 reported. It is unclear where he originally came from.
The white pup didn't have a collar and didn't want to be caught, so the neighbors left food and water outside for him – who, like his namesake, would appear, then vanish.
Residents and animal welfare activists became increasingly concerned and started working to rescue him after they spotted him cornered by aggressive coyotes.
Per the local animal rescue team Lost and Stray Response Squad, locating him proved difficult. A volunteer explained on Facebook that catching and "containing" the dog was a challenge, as Ghost "can climb and jump very high, so he outsmarted our every move."
The community refused to give up on the doggo.
Thanks to the Tucson community, this dog is safe and sound.
One morning a few weeks ago, the rescue organization's director Desirae Trubee got a call. A neighbor, who'd been working to gain Ghost's trust, had managed to get him safely into her car.
"It was so nice to see his smiling face sitting in her car," Trubee told KGUN 9. "He just surrendered. He knew he was safe and I think he was very happy about that."
"This was such a beautiful community effort and it demonstrates what can be accomplished when we all come together to help an animal in need!" the rescue group wrote in a Facebook update about Ghost.
What's more, the community built a temporary enclosure to keep the dog safe.
The animal rescuers also said the dog "brought people together who would otherwise never have met."
Despite months alone in the harsh desert, the dog was healthy, minus a few dental issues. Since being rescued, the six-year-old dog has been chipped, vaccinated, and will soon be neutered.
Ghost accepts love and affection and is still learning to walk on a leash, but he's making great progress, per his rescuers' updates.
This desert survivor is almost ready to embark on his next adventure: finding a forever home.
Cover photo: Collage: Screenshot/Facebook/Lost and Stray Response Squad