A Washington State woman spent nearly two months searching for her runaway dog in a small Montana town — even quitting her job so she could stick around.

After an exhaustive 57-day search, Carole King was finally reunited with her beloved border collie Katie last week.

The 7-year-old dog ran away July 20 from King’s hotel room in Kalispell, Montana, where she’d been vacationing with her husband, Verne King.

“It was devastating. I got sick to my stomach,” King told the Daily Inter Lake.

King and her husband believe the pup got spooked by thunder and fled the My Place Hotel while they were out grabbing dinner.

They scoured the hotel grounds, calling for Katie until the early morning, to no avail.

The next day, King continued her search, putting up fliers, knocking on doors and posting on social media.

When Katie still hadn’t turned up, King quit her job as a postal worker so she could remain in Kalispell to keep looking.

“You love your dog so much, and you just have hope,” King told NBC Montana. “You know she’s out there searching for you. You can’t give up.”

In total, King believes she put up at least 500 flyers in the small town and surrounding area. She and her husband also used game cameras and night-vision goggles in their search.

Strangers helped keep King’s spirits up by sending her encouraging texts and Facebook messages — and even dropping off food for her, she said.



“There were days I was just crying because I couldn’t find my dog, and then some stranger from Kalispell texted me saying ‘hey,’ talking to me, encouraging words,” King said.

After about 57 days, a tip came in from a man who said he’d spotted a dog matching Katie’s description in his yard. But when King rushed over, the pup was gone.

King returned to the neighborhood the next day, on Sept. 15, and with the help of a friend and local residents was reunited with her companion.

“I just bear-hugged her; I wasn’t going to let her go,” King recalled. “Tears were flying, we were screaming, everybody is high-fiving, hugging each other. People are stopping in their vehicles, getting out and hugging us. I think the whole neighborhood knew that we found her.”

The dog had lost 12 pounds and was severely dehydrated. She’s expected to make a full recovery.

“I really want to thank the community,” King said. “It was just amazing, the teamwork that was put out to find a stranger’s dog.”