It breaks my heart to write this, but my sweet Pia has been found. First, I want to thank every single person who searched, shared my posts, prayed, sent messages, and never gave up on her. Your kindness meant more than you'll ever know. A special thank you to my friend Wayne, who flew his helicopter over the campground and surrounding mountains every single day looking for Pia. I even flew with him, hoping we would spot her, but we couldn't. Yesterday, while I was searching on foot, I looked up and noticed Wayne circling the same spot over and over again. Around 9:00 p.m., just as I was about to head home, I received a text from him with a GPS location. He had found Pia. I immediately turned around. My friend begged me not to climb the mountain in the dark because he was worried about my safety, but I couldn't wait. I ran and climbed for nearly an hour through extremely dangerous terrain, only to realize I had gone to the wrong spot. Coming back down in the darkness was terrifying. The slopes were so steep that I had to slide down on my backside over loose rocks. My friend climbed up to rescue me, and together we finally made it down around midnight. Somewhere on that mountain I even lost my phone. Last night, I almost lost my life, and my friend risked his trying to help me. At 4:00 this morning, we went back with Wayne and climbed the mountain again. The hike was incredibly difficult, with steep slopes and loose rocks. I kept praying that somehow it wasn't her. But when I reached Pia, she was lying there so peacefully. That is exactly how she always slept. As heartbreaking as that moment was, I also felt relief. She had not been attacked by a mountain lion. She had not been stolen. She had not been abused or used as bait. She was simply resting peacefully on the mountain she loved. If you know me, you know I have always said that when Pia's time came, I wanted her buried in the mountains, because hiking was our life. We completed more than 300 hikes together. She lived for running free, chasing scents, and exploring the wilderness. Pia was diagnosed with cancer in 2020. The veterinarian told me she probably wouldn't live another six months. I prayed to God for just a few more years so I could spoil her and never have regrets. God answered that prayer and gave us six more beautiful years together. She turned 14 this year. During this hike, she chased a deer and climbed much higher than I ever imagined. Somehow she made her way back toward the campground, but she remained high above it on the mountainside, directly across from the parking lot. She was so close, yet no one could see her. We wrapped her in a clean white sheet, dug her grave beneath a tree where she will always have shade, and buried her there among the mountains she loved. We left her collar and harness with her because I will visit her often. Some people may say this happened because I let her hike off leash. Those who truly knew Pia know she spent her entire life doing what she loved most—running free through the mountains. She completed hundreds of hikes safely. She was incredibly smart and somehow made her way back toward the campground. I don't know exactly what happened on that mountain, but I truly believe she was at peace. Over the last month, her behavior had changed. Even though we had a two-bedroom apartment, she started sleeping alone in the master bedroom instead of beside me. I even told my friends that it almost felt like she was preparing me for the day she would no longer be next to me. Maybe it was her way of making it just a little easier. As devastating as this is, I have peace in my heart. I know I gave Pia the best life I possibly could. I cooked her homemade meals every single day because she was a picky eater. She ate chicken, beef, fish, and roast. She went almost everywhere with me—even to work. In 14 years. I am lost without my pia girl. #dog - @pia_love2022