Rescuing Riley, Saving Myself: A Man and His Dog's Struggle to Find Salvation

An inspiring story about determination, bullying, and the invisible hands that brought a man and dog together to overcome their dark legacies.

While hiking on a solo vacation in a remote, uninhabitable region of Arizona, Zachary Anderegg happened upon Riley, an emaciated puppy clinging to life, at the bottom of a 350-foot canyon. In a daring act of humanity that trumped the deliberate savagery behind Riley’s presence in such a place, Zak single-handedly orchestrated a delicate rescue. 

What didn’t come out in the initial burst of publicity this story received is that Zak and Riley’s destinies were intertwined long before they improbably found each other. For much of Zak’s childhood, he was at the bottom of a veritable canyon himself—a canyon whose imprisoning depth and darkness was created by bullies who just wouldn’t quit and parents who weren’t capable of love. From the age of five, Zak was everyone’s favorite target. 

When Zak came upon Riley, the puppy’s condition bespoke his abusers’ handiwork—three shotgun pellets embedded beneath his skin, teeth turned permanently black from malnutrition. The meeting was one of a man and a dog singularly suited to save each other. As a former US Marine sergeant, Zak was one of only a few people with the mettle and physical wherewithal to get Riley out. And in rescuing him, Zak was also attempting to save himself, conquering the currents of cruelty that swelled beneath his early life and always threatened to drown him.

21 color photographs

Zachary Anderegg joined the Marines after graduating high school and served from 1994–1998, achieving the rank of Sergeant E5. Since 2002, he has owned two successful businesses, Dream Catcher Yachts and The Wrench-It Center with his wife, Michelle. In 2010, he was exploring a slot canyon near Page, Arizona, when he found Riley. He has appeared with Riley and Michelle on Inside Edition, The Today Show, and The Ellen Degeneres Show. He resides in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Pete Nelson received his MFA from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop and has written for numerous magazines, including Harper’s, Playboy, and Esquire. He is the author of the novel I Thought You Were Dead and numerous nonfiction titles, including Left for Dead and That Others May Live. He resides in Westchester, New York.