UPDATE: Ruth is home! Kelowna dog found after over 3 days missing in Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park

(UPDATE: March 14 @ 6:40 pm) - Just after 6 pm, Amy Ellett shared an update that so many people had been hoping to hear.

"Ruth is home," she wrote in all caps on social media, accompanied by a photo of her embracing her golden retriever in Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park.

The popular Southeast Kelowna trail network is where Ruth spent the last three-plus days since she got spooked and ran off shortly after noon on Monday.

It's also where Ellett spent nearly every minute of daylight, searching for her beloved pet alongside dozens of friends and strangers.

We don't have too much information at the moment regarding where Ruth was found or her condition after spending 75-80 hours alone in the woods.

However, she looks relatively healthy in the photos shared to social media this evening and we will provide an update if and when Ellett is willing to share one.

If only Ruth could talk, she would surely have some fascinating tales to share from her harrowing adventure this week.

(UPDATE: March 14 @ 9:45 am) - It's approaching 72 hours since Ruth the golden retriever went missing in Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park.

The 2.5-year-old dog got spooked and bolted away from her owner, Amy Ellett, around 12:30 pm on Monday, March 11.

Word of Ruth's disappearance has spread throughout the week and the search party continues to grow as the community bands together to try and bring the beloved pet home.

After a potential sighting was reported on Wednesday, a large search party began its day at the KLO Creek trailhead early this morning.

Since Ruth is likely scared, the search party is proceeding without their own dogs today as they focus on the Myra Bailout, Angel Springs and KLO Canyon trails.

And for the same reason, anyone who sees Ruth at this stage is urged to call Ellett immediately at 778-215-7157, then follow her from a distance and avoid chasing her.

Ruth is a white-coloured golden retriever who was wearing a pink harness and turquoise bandana when she went missing on Monday.

A GoFundMe created to help fund search efforts and support Ellett while she takes time off work to look for her pet has raised over $4,000 as of Thursday morning.

(Original story: March 12 @ 10:15 am) - The weather is warming up and more people are getting out to hike or mountain bike in Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park.

If you’re headed to the popular southeast Kelowna trail network today, keep your eyes and ears peeled for a beloved golden retriever who has been missing in the area for nearly 24 hours.

Amy Ellett was walking with her 2.5-year-old golden retriever Ruth in the provincial park early Monday afternoon.

Unfortunately, something startled Ruth at Teddy Bear Junction, which is near the Rose Lookout, and the white-coloured golden bolted into the bush around 1 pm.

“She’s never done this before,” Ellett told KelownaNow around 10 am today, 21 hours after Ruth was last seen. “In normal times, she loves people and wants to talk to everybody, but I’m assuming she is pretty scared right now and might be skittish.”

With that in mind, Ellett suggests that anyone who sees Ruth in the park should try to coax her out of hiding with food or treats, noting that she’s “food motivated" and "very cute and friendly."

Ellett is doing everything she can to track down the pet, including social media posts, physical signs in the area and leaving her clothing items at Teddy Bear Junction and the trailhead.

She’s even considering bringing a portable barbecue down to the park to cook some bacon and hot dogs in hopes that the scent may draw Ruth out of the bush.

Ruth is wearing a pink harness and turquoise bandana, Ellett explained. She does not have a collar on, since she was wearing her harness, but she is microchipped.

If anyone sees Ruth in the area or wants to head down to help with the search, Ellett can be reached by call or text at 778-215-7157.