The Memorial Day weekend of 1992 was supposed to be one of camping and the outdoors for the Riesgraf family. John and Susan took their son, John Jr., and daughter, Hannah, to their vacation cabin at Bear Head Lake, approximately one-hundred miles north of their Duluth, Minnesota, home. Also making the trip were the Riesgraf’s two “four-footed children,” a four-year-old collie named Lady and Wolfka, a one-year-old Belgian shepherd.
In previous stays at the lake, the Riesgrafs had let the dogs run on their own in the forest. The fur babies generally returned within an hour, but this time was different. After Lady and Wolfka had not come home for several hours, the family searched the forest but to no avail. Searches the day after also failed to produce any trace of the pooches.
The following day, a forest fire erupted a few miles south of the cabin, forcing the Riesgraf family to evacuate and, to the kids’ devastation, leave the beloved dogs behind. The fire burned for several days and destroyed hundreds of miles of the forest.
The disappointed family returned to Duluth without the dogs. John Jr. and Hannah were heartbroken, fearing their four-footed siblings, neither of whom had a microchip, were gone forever.
Lady Riesgraf
Two weeks later, however, the Riesgrafs received a call from a woman they did not know who lived on the outskirts of Duluth. Sue took the call and could hardly believe what she was hearing. The caller said, “Your dog is in my front yard.”
The Riesgraf’s rushed to the caller’s home, approximately fifteen miles away. Upon arrival, as the kids leaped out of the car, Lady burst out of the home. Before introductions could be made, the kids were bombarded with wet, sloppy kisses.
Lady was scruffy, hungry, and covered in ticks but otherwise healthy. Somehow, over a two week period, she had traveled the one-hundred miles from Bear Head Lake to Duluth. The Riesgrafs believe that if she had not been taken in by the Good Samaritan, she would have soon found her way to their front doorstep.
Lady’s return made headlines in the local newspapers. The Riesgrafs were soon contacted by several people who had seen her during her two-week trek.
Several days after her disappearance, a railroad worker had seen Lady walking along the tracks, thirty miles from the cabin. One week later, another man spotted her along a logging trail near Duluth. More sightings of Lady were reported, each one placing her a little closer to Duluth.
Throughout her travels, several people attempted to pet Lady, but she spurned them all. Under normal circumstances, the collie was most cordial. But this was different, as Lady appeared to be on a mission. She apparently wanted to get back to Duluth and she had to make good time.
Lady Becomes A Local Celebrity
Lady’s quest began at the Riesgraf’s cabin at Bear Head Lake State Park. As the fire spread, they believe she may have traveled east to the Superior National Forest and then made her way south to the small, unincorporated community of Isabella.
Lady’s projected odyssey had encompassed one-hundred-fifty miles. Bear Head Lake is approximately one-hundred miles north of Duluth. It’s about a two-hour drive, and as Lady showed, about a two-week walk.
Lady’s Trek
A few months before the weekend at the lake, the Riesgraf family, canines included, watched the movie Lassie Come Home. Lady was evidently paying attention and followed her fellow collie’s lead.
Unfortunately, Wolfka was never found. The Riesgrafs hope he was taken in by someone who provided him a good life.
Was Lady Inspired By Lassie?
How Lady was able to find her way home but Wolfka wasn’t is one of the many fascinating mysteries of our furry four-footed friends.
Research shows that lost dogs rely on familiar scents and hone in on one specific smell such as a familiar person, animal, or a tree which they have “tacked” and follow the scent for long distances. Lady likely relied on overlapping circles of familiar scents to find her way home, much like we rely on cell phone pings on towers to find specific locations.
The science notwithstanding, the Riesgrafs have a different theory as to how Lady found her way home. In addition to being inspired by Lassie, of course, they believe God at least partially answered their children’s prayers.
A Happy Family
SOURCES:
- Puppy Leaks
- St. Paul Pioneer Press
- Unsolved Mysteries
- Weekly World News
Great uplifting article. Gives me hope that there is still love in our creatures for us unlike humans. Made me happy.