Derek Taylor and his wife Amanda were walking with their two dogs, Yogurt and Molly, along Joiner Brook in Bolton, Vermont, when Yogurt saw people he recognized across the river and excitedly jumped in to get to them.
The current of the river began to pull Yogurt downstream, as Derek jumped in to try and save him. He almost caught up to him, but the force of the rapid water proved to be too strong, and Derek managed to pull himself onto a rock before a giant waterfall. He held onto the rock for four hours before rescue teams were able to bring him to safety.
The couple searched everywhere for Yogurt, but to no avail. While they tried to remain hopeful that Yogurt could have survived, they are also being realistic in knowing that he could have drowned.
Regardless, they want closure, and if he did drown, they want to find his body so they could have a proper burial. They are now offering a $1,000 reward for the return of Yogurt.
“We are heartbroken and in a state of shock over the loss of our perfect boy, that we couldn’t save him and misjudged how dangerous the area was to be walking around,” Amanda wrote on Facebook. “We will never get over this. Ever. but we need to find his body and we would love anyone’s help.”
If he’s still alive, they believe he may be alongside the Winooski River.
The couple was recently contacted by someone who saw a dog on their surveillance camera, wandering around their yard nearby, so they are still holding onto hope.
Yogurt is a 65-75 pound Golden Retriever and was wearing a moo cow Lupine dog collar with his “Yogurt” name tag.
If you have any information on Yogurt’s whereabouts, please contact Amanda at 717-715-9491.
“If you pray then please pray hard for us,” she wrote. “If you don’t pray, then please send every positive piece of energy and love you can our way. Yogurt was our absolute world. The best thing to ever happen to us. We are physically and mentally dead and trying to figure out how to function to cope with any of this sick nightmare.”
