Neesha, an eight-year-old golden retriever, survived about two weeks lost in the snow-covered Wicklow Mountains in Ireland before two hikers found her near the summit of Lugnaquilla in February 2021, wrapped her in their own clothing and carried her down. A local animal rescue group then traced her family, and video of the reunion was watched hundreds of thousands of times. How she got through those freezing days is still a mystery, even to her owners.
How Neesha went missing
Neesha lived with the Goetelen family in County Wicklow. During a walk near home with their other dog, Harley, both dogs caught sight of a deer and took off after it. They disappeared into the hills, and despite a long search the family had to go home without them.
Harley came back the next day. Neesha did not. As days passed, snow fell and temperatures dropped well below freezing, the family's hopes faded. Teenage daughter Shannah told RTÉ she could not sleep for worry. I just pictured her shivering in the cold, it was awful,
she said.
Found near the top of Lugnaquilla
About two weeks later, on a Saturday in early February, Jean Francois Bonnet and Ciara Nolan were hiking in poor weather on Lugnaquilla, at 925 metres the highest mountain in Wicklow and the highest in Ireland outside County Kerry. Near the summit they came across a golden retriever on her own. Both hikers are medics, and RTÉ noted they had been working on the Covid-19 frontline.
The dog was cold, weak and so exhausted that she could not even bark. The pair wrapped her in spare clothing, gave her some food and carried her down the mountain, a hard descent in winter conditions with a large dog in their arms. At their home they warmed and fed her, then contacted an animal rescue group, which tracked down her owners. The family's mother, Irena, said they were very grateful to everyone involved.
How could a dog survive two weeks on a mountain?
Nobody knows exactly, and it is worth being honest about that. Irena's own guess was shelter: Maybe she got a bit of shelter in the forest, I just don't know.
The lower slopes of the Wicklow Mountains include conifer plantations and stream valleys where a dog could escape the worst of the wind.
A few general factors help explain cases like this. Golden retrievers have a dense double coat with a water-resistant outer layer, bred for working in cold water. A healthy, well-fed dog carries reserves of body fat and can survive a surprisingly long time on very little food, as long as it can find water, which melting snow and mountain streams provide. Dogs that run off after wildlife may also scavenge carcasses or small animals. Where she was found also matters. Lugnaquilla is not a rocky peak but a broad, grassy moorland with a flat summit plateau, ringed by steep glacial hollows and forested glens. That terrain is easy for a dog to wander across and hard for searchers to cover, since a large plateau in cloud and snow offers few landmarks. It also means a dog could drift a long way from where it was last seen. None of that is confirmed for Neesha, and two weeks of cold and hunger is still a serious ordeal. The reports describe a weak but recovering dog, and any judgement about her health belonged to the vet treating her.
If your dog goes missing in the hills
Stories like Neesha's end well partly because people act quickly and share information. Practical steps that rescue groups commonly recommend include:
- Return to where the dog was last seen and leave an item that smells of home, such as a worn jumper or the dog's bed. Many dogs find their way back to that spot.
- Alert local rescues, vets, wardens and pounds with a clear photo and description, and post in local community and lost-pet groups.
- Tell hikers and mountain users. Notices at car parks and trailheads reach the people most likely to see the dog.
- Keep microchip details up to date. In Ireland, microchipping dogs is a legal requirement, and current contact details are what allow a shelter or vet to reunite you quickly.
- Use a lead near wildlife. Deer, sheep and hares can trigger a chase in even well-trained dogs, especially in open hill country.
If you find a dog on a mountain
Bonnet and Nolan's response is a good model, and it applies on any hill walk, not only in Wicklow. Check whether the dog is injured or hypothermic, warm it gradually with dry clothing or a blanket, offer a little food and water, and only attempt to carry it if you can do so safely in the conditions. Your own safety matters too: mountain weather changes fast, and a rescue can become two rescues. Once down, a vet or animal rescue can scan for a microchip, and local lost-pet groups can spread the word.
A reunion many people played a part in
The viral clip shows one emotional moment, but the happy ending depended on several people: a family that kept searching and publicising, two hikers who chose to carry a heavy, exhausted dog down a mountain in bad weather, and a rescue group that knew how to find her owners. Neesha's story is a reminder of how resilient dogs can be, and of how much a single good decision by a stranger can matter.
Sources: RTÉ News: Dog rescued from Wicklow mountain after two weeks (8 February 2021); Wikipedia: Lugnaquilla.
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