Prineville dog lost for 3 weeks finds her way home

It might be easy to confuse the story of ” Homeward Bound ” with the real-life story of a Prineville dog, Pepper. The 1 1/2-year-old Great Pyrenese-old Scotch collie mix was lost in the High Desert for three weeks, traveling 28 miles before a happy reunion.

When Carol Williams adopted Pepper, she envisioned the dog protecting her goats from coyotes.

But when Pepper didn’t adapt to her role, Williams decided to put Pepper up for adoption.

“Pepper seemed to be more of a people person, so I thought she would be better in a home with the love and attention,” Williams said Tuesday.

On Oct. 5, a Bend family adopted Pepper and brought her to Petsmart to buy her a collar and a leash. Pepper found a way to escape and, over the next three weeks, Pepper made her way back to Prineville. That’s 28 miles , apparently with no food and with overnight temperatures getting as cold as 20 degrees.

With the help of community members, Pepper was spotted. When Williams heard Pepper was seen in Prineville, she couldn’t believe it. And when Williams finally saw her, she said she “couldn’t describe the feeling.”

During those three weeks, Williams started having her doubts ,, unsure if Pepper would be able to find her way home.

” You know, I thought the worst and hoped for the best. It’s really hard to say, because dogs can be really amazing, ” Williams said. ” They can really surprise you and, obviously, she’s one that did. ”

Williams said the only thing unusual about Pepper when she returned was that she was a little skinny. She plans on bringing Pepper in to see a vet to get everything checked out.

Pepper not only reunited with her mother but also with her best friend, Duke, one of Williams’ other dogs, and now Pepper is home for good.

” She’s not going anywhere ever again. This is her home, her family, ” Williams said.