When beloved family dog Bailey followed his nose into the wilderness of Jim Thorpe, owners Hope and Mike Koenigbauer of Delaware were beside themselves.

“We love him dearly,” said Hope Koenigbauer. “He’s such a gentle dog.”Bailey was missing for a week before making his way back to the recently purchased vacation home in Bear Creek.“He is a master at running off, but never like this,” Koenigbauer said.Bailey started his long journeyMarch 26 while on a leashed walk with his family. After picking up on the smell of a deer, he gave chase into the thick woods behind the home.“He took off after that deer like a horse out of a race chute,” Koenigbauer said.The search beginsThe Koenigbauers searched the area on their own before the community stepped in and used social media to spread the word of the missing pooch.Through Facebook the family was put in touch with Hound Hunters, an area organization that helps find missing canines.“The overwhelming outpouring of generosity, prayers and time of Jim Thorpe was amazing,” Koenigbauer said. “We were desperately looking for him.”“It’s amazing what dogs can do,” said Donna Flyte Barney of Hound Hunters, who resides in Kresgeville. Barney has been working with Hound Hunters founder Christine Cahill for two years to reunite canines with their owners.Over Easter weekend, Hound Hunters had its sleuthing cut out for it when the 10-year-old beagle/foxhound bolted.“It was the owners’ first extended stay in the area and he got loose,” Barney said. “I read the messages on Facebook and thought ‘these people need help.’ ”“We almost lost hope. We just couldn’t believe he was still alive. My daughter and husband said they were on their hands and knees in the Mountain Laurel looking for his body. But Donna kept reassuring us,” Koenigbauer said.Bailey’s journeyBailey was spotted all over the mountain range from near Penn’s Peak all the way down to the Pennsylvania Turnpike.“When he made it to the turnpike, that was the low point. We just thought he was going to get hit by a car,” Koenigbauer said.During the last leg of his trek between 6 p.m. Saturday and 2:45 p.m. Sunday, Bailey traveled 1.5 miles during the heavy winds, sleet and snow, according to the called-in tips and Hound Hunter’s tracking.Barney followed Bailey’s trail by mapping out the community’s sighting of the pet.“The key was getting the fliers and leaflets of Bailey out to the area where the dog was spotted and getting specific information on where he was seen,” Barney said.“Her response to the sightings was immediate. She was tracking him and cooking things in the areas he was seen to help keep him on the trail and keep him safe,” Koenigbauer said.A family reunitedBailey eventually found his way back to his family by using the same nose that got him into trouble in the first place.After traveling an estimated 15 miles over the area with elevation changes of over 300 feet, Bailey made his way back to his owner’s truck on Sunday.“When I saw him in the woods I just got on the ground and said ‘come to momma.’ When he got close enough to the truck I grabbed his leash and didn’t let go,” Koenigbauer said.“We just want to thank these people that were there for us, we are complete strangers and they were there rooting for us, helping us and calling in sightings. The kindness was just overwhelming,” Koenigbauer said.