KALISPELL — Rob Bowen of Trego tragically died in a fatal car accident off Highway 93 North near Olney on Nov. 13, 2024.
One of his four Great Pyrenees dogs named Baldone was in the car at the time of the accident and ran into the woods once first responders arrived.
Three months after disappearing Baldone was rescued thanks to countless volunteers that never gave up looking for him.
“This is a perfect example of an entire community, selfless people coming to the table to go out and try to save this dog,” said Humane Society of Northwest Montana Executive Director Stacie Dabolt.
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For three months, dozens of strangers came together in the Flathead for one common goal — to find a 5-year-old Great Pyrenees named Baldone.
“We spent a lot of time trekking through the snow, and we actually spent some time on snowmobile up on the snowmobile trails trying to track him, a lot of driving around, talking to neighbors letting them know be on the lookout for him,” said Baldone's foster mom Brooke Pollock.
Baldone was on the run during the coldest months of the season in Northwest Montana and living off the rugged terrain.
“And he probably ate off of animal carcasses or anything he could find, berries. I mean they are resilient and it’s a perfect breed if somebody’s going to be lost for three months in the winter; that would be the breed that could withstand it,” said Dabolt.
Baldone finally sought shelter in the middle of February on a property roughly 10 miles from where the crash happened.
“He finally surrendered himself which we were praying would happen in some gentleman’s barn and he was getting food and water from the gentleman, and he finally just accepted the fact that I need help, so the shelter was able to come in and finally take him,” said Pollock.
Baldone was taken to the Humane Society of Northwest Montana in Kalispell, where he was deemed relatively healthy but severely malnourished, weighing only 70 pounds.
“Over half his body weight had been lost when he was out running,” said Dabolt.
A volunteer-based organization called Great Pyrenees Rescue Montana helped set Baldone up with Brooke Pollock, who’s been fostering him back to health for the last week.
“The high protein diet has been his favorite; he’s getting about six cups of food a day and then some little snacks in between to help with the protein,” said Pollock.
Brooke took Baldone down to Missoula on Wednesday to meet Rob’s niece Kylee Wilson.
“The second I saw him, I knew it was him because I had fostered his parents and he looks exactly like his dad. His dad is just like a unique-looking dog, and he looked just like him,” said Wilson.
A family in Kalispell has adopted Baldone and he will be joining them soon.
Wilson is thankful to everyone who helped bring him to safety.
“I have a very big family, Rob was one of ten kids, so I have tons of cousins, and my massive family thanks you from the bottom of their hearts,” said Wilson.
A GoFundMe page supporting Baldone's recovery can be found here.
