Boris the dog found after 18 days lost in the bush

A nearly blind, 12-year-old dog has made his way home to Nelson, B.C. after being lost in the wilderness for almost three weeks.

"I love my dog," says Nelson resident Logan Lynn. "There's some pets you like more than others, and this one is tops as far as I'm concerned."

Lynn has had his lab-boxer cross, Boris, since he was a puppy, and never goes anywhere without him except to work.

In September, Lynn and a group of friends went camping in the Princeton area when Boris got spooked and ran off. 

Lynn says he stayed and searched for Boris until he had to return to work. 

"I stayed up there and camped for another day and a half," says Lynn. "He never showed up." 

His sister, Nona Lynn, says her brother and the rest of the family were "devastated" about the loss.

But they didn't give up. The greying, half-blind Boris was out there somewhere, they believed. 

They contacted a Princeton bylaw officer and the SPCA, and plastered posters up. His sister said they also posted the information on every relevant Facebook page they could find.

And sure enough, there were sightings by hunters.

Lynn said he made the day-long drive from his Nelson area home to follow every tip, spending 10 days in the bush riding his ATV while calling out Boris's name.

Finally, after 18 days, he followed dog tracks and spotted Boris near a back-country lake. He said the dog was so skittish that Lynn had to lure him in with one of his favourite treats — cheese buns.

"I'm going to say he lost a good 15 pounds," said Lynn. "Other than being skinny, he was in excellent condition."

Lynn figures Boris went wild, scavenging food. But somehow, the greying, 12-year-old dog survived almost three weeks in the bush. 

"If you ever lose your pet, don't give up hope!" says Nona Lynn. "It's amazing how the will to live can keep a pet going, and the love for pets by people can bring them together again."