After going missing in the snow for a week, this is the adorable moment a lost dog was reunited with her owner.

Seven-year-old Salty snuck out of her home in Montana just before Christmas, in an apparent attempt to chase deer on December 22.

Despite the best efforts of her owner, Roger Jacobs, she could not be found until a friend spotted a dog in the snow.

That led to Roger, 68, crying tears of joy as he was reunited with his pet on the morning of December 29.

Salty wagged her tail furiously after the pair waded through the snow and hugged.

After seven straight days of searching, he and his family had all about given up hope of finding the dog, who Roger had raised since she was a puppy.

The dog had lost some weight and had a wound on her front leg, but was otherwise ok despite a week in freezing conditions.

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Family friend Bill Lepley had spotted an animal by a river in Huntley and the family sped off to check if it was Salty.

One of Robert’s three children, Becky Anderson, filmed the encounter.

The 42-year-old said: ‘My dad was blowing his whistle until he could see her.

‘You can see him tuck his phone back in his pocket, put his gloves on and fall down to his knees with tears of joy.’

The gate at Roger’s home in Shepherd had been left without the latch on before Salty escaped in the run up to the festive period.

Salty is trained to join Roger on hunting trips and it was out of character of her to run off.

Basketball coach Becky explained: ‘It made the Christmas holiday a little less bright.

‘We spent day and night driving around looking for her, tried tracking her footprints in the snow.

‘We initially believed she was chasing deer and then disappeared – as my dad would describe it, “he was gut shot”.’

The family had desperately searched for Salty for nearly seven days, posting online to see if anyone in the community had spotted her, before Bill rang with a sighting near the Yellowstone River.

Mum-of-three Becky, who drove up with two of her children, said: ‘I tried my best not to get my hopes up especially knowing Salty had been gone for a week in below zero temperatures.

‘When we pulled up, we all three barrelled out of the car jumping up and down.

‘With one look we knew it was her.’

Bill had driven Salty close to where cattle auctioneer Roger had been searching, before letting her out the car to reunite with her beloved owner.

The dog had only suffered a wound to her front leg and collected some ice between her toes after being out in the snow for nearly a week.

But Becky added: ‘The wound on her leg is healing up nicely and she has settled right back into her normal way of life.

‘She lost about ten pounds through the ordeal but other than that, you would never know anything had happened.’

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