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WEBVTT N FACEBOOK.PHIL GOMEZ JOINS US LIVE FROMSANTA CRUZ.PHIL: THANKS TO SOCIAL MEDIA,THE COMMUNITY ON THE BOULDERCREEK NEIGHBORS PAGE COULDFOLLOW THE STATUS OF THE MISSINGDOG ON FACEBOOIT WAS A TOUGH EIGHT DAYS, BUTAS FOLKS HOPED, THE SEARCH FORTHE BLIND LAB WOULD END WITH HERREUNITED SAFELY WITH HER FAMIL.THE BOULDER CREEK NEIGHBORSFACEBOOK MESSAGE DISTRIBUTEDFEBRUARTY 28TH READ, REWARD FORLOST DOG.BLIND FEMALE YELLOW LABRADORRETRIEVER HAS DISAPPEAREDAND SO FAR, THERE IS NO SIGHT OFHER.>> WE HAD ALMOST GIVEN UP.PHIL THE RESPONSES WERE: IMMEDIATE, PRAYING THE PUP ISSAFE AND GETS HOME.PRAYING, READ ANOTHER, AND THIIS HEARTBREAKING -PUTTING THE, WHITE LIGHT AROUND THE POORBABE.>> PEOPLE WERE SENDING PRAYERSAND CONTACTING US WITH SEARCHTIPS.PHIL IT HAS BEEN A TOUGH WINTER: FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN THE SANTACRUZ MOUNTAINS.SO MUCH STORM DAMAGETHEY NEEDED SOMETHING POSITIVETO HAPPEBEN LOMOND RESIDENT SARAHGRAYSON WAS ONE OF THE HUNDREDSWHO OFFERED PRAYERS THROUGHFACEBOOK.>> POWER IS OUT AND ROADS AREDOWN.A LOT OF GRIPING AND OVERALLNATURE.PEOP REALLY ARE HAPPY TO SEE APOSITIVE OUTCOME.>> YOU LOOK OVER AND SEE WHATLOOKS AT A TRASH BAG IN THESTREAM AND I LOOKED CLOSER ANDIT WAS SAGE.PHIL THE SEARCH ENDED SATURDAY.: WEAK FROM HER 8 DAY ADVENTUREINTO THE WILD, IT TURNS OUT SAGEDIDN'T WANDER FAR FROM HER HOMEBUT THE TERRAIN WAS STEEP ANDSLIPPERY AND SHE COULDN'T GETBACK UP.DAN ESTRADA, A NEIGHBOR ANDFIREFIGHTER WITH THE LIVERMOREPLEASANTON FIRE DEPARTMENT ALOWITH A FRIEND SPOTTED SAGE.ESTRADA CARRIED HER ZIGGING ANDZAGGING UP THE HILLSIDE WHEREHER FAMILY AWAITED.>> IT WAS LOTS OF TEARS AND ITWAS A HAPPY REUNION.PHIL SAGE IS DOING WELL AT HOME: AND THE FAMILY IS DEFINITELYLOOKING AT A GPS SYSTEM FOR HERCOLLAR.>> WHAT A SPECIAL PLACE IT IS.PHIL: DAN AND VICTOR LOPEZTURNED DOWN THE $1000 REWARD.INSTEAD BETH WILL DONATE HALFTHE FUNDS TO VALLEY CHURCHESUNITED.THE OTHER HALF TO AN ANIMALORGANIZATIONDAN DAN ESTRADA AND HIS FRIEND: VICTOR LOPEZ ARE LEATHERMAKERS.THEY MADE 8 LEASHES, ONE FOREACH DAY SAGE WAS MISSING, THATTHEY PLAN TO AUCTION OFFERIN: AN INSPIRING WORD OFENCOURAGEMENT IS TOOLED ONTOEACH LEASHSO THE JOY SURROUNDING SAGE'SSAFE RETURN CAN BE SHARED BY

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A blind labrador retriever was miraculously found alive in the Santa Cruz mountains after being lost in the woods for eight days. The Boulder Creek dog's rescue went viral on Facebook among San Lorenzo Valley residents who have weathered a wet winter and needed something positive to happen. The sightless dog, named Sage, wandered into the forest on the night of Feb. 24 and vanished. Sage's owners mistakenly thought their pooch had been brought inside for the night. Beth Cole said neighbors and friends helped her look everywhere for the beloved dog. But when seven days passed, hope began to fade. There were several mountain lion sightings that week, and overnight temperatures dropped. "We'd almost given up hope," Cole said. Then the unexpected happened. Neighbor Dan Estrada and his friend, Victor Lopez, were out hiking with two dogs Saturday when they saw a white dog in a stream. They feared the lab may be dead. When Sage sensed their presence, the lab perked up and lifted her head. Estrada said he was overcome with emotion, ran into the stream, and hugged Sage. The dog had not wandered far from home, but the terrain was steep and slippery down to the stream. Sage was too weak to walk, so Estrada carried Sage over his shoulders up a canyon. Now the dog is doing well back home. "We've always loved our community, but this really re-enforced what a special place this is," Cole said. Estrada turned down a $1,000 reward from the Cole family, and instead asked for it to be donated to an animal organization. A celebration for Sage will be held March 18 from 4-6 p.m. at Joe's Bar on Highway 9. The event is a fundraiser benefiting the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter.