At one point in her life, Supai roamed around the Havasupai Indian Reservation at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Now, a decade later, the former Arizona pup has been crowned the “Happiest Pet on Earth.”
Supai has the canyon to thank for introducing her to her owner, Torey Mill.
On a trip to the canyon in 2014, Mill spotted the 6-month-old pup. Supai, at the time, was living among 30 to 40 wild dogs at the bottom of the canyon. She was dehydrated and her nose was severely sunburnt.
The dogs milled freely as mules delivered mail and hikers passed through. Hiking the canyon herself, Mill said she often woke up with dogs waiting outside her tent in the morning for food.
“They seemed like they were kind of reliant on the tourists,” Mill said.
As she was leaving, Mill said she and Supai locked eyes and felt a special connection — one that she hadn’t felt with any other dog she had come across during her vacation.
“I just kind of had a feeling about this dog — just this look in her eyes,” she said.
Mill, a college student, gave Supai a share of her beef jerky supply, and suddenly, the two were inseparable. They both hiked the 6-mile journey up and out of the canyon.
“She just instantly latched on and I could tell that we had this special connection,” she said.
Once back at the reservation, Mill confirmed with a local that Supai was free to go. Soon they were on their way to California to start a life together.
“I just could feel that she needed me,” she said. “I don’t think that she was going to make it very much longer if I didn’t take her.”
It turned out Supai had health problems, but before long she was a typical, healthy young pup full of energy.
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Mill eventually finished her time at college, and the pair spent the next 10 years living in various states across the West.
From Arizona to California to Montana to Colorado to Oregon, Supai’s abundance of energy perfectly matched her life of traveling and running alongside Mill as she skateboarded, backcountry skied and much more.
“We have had an amazing life together,” Mill said.
And while she’s developed a liking for snow, Mill said, Supai has still found ways to stay true to her desert beginnings with an affinity for lengthy sunbathing sessions, hiking and visiting the beach.
Since locking eyes and coming together all those years ago, Mill and Supai have developed their own way of communicating.
“She’s just incredibly smart and has so much personality that I can tell all of her emotions, when she’s happy and whatever she needs,” Mill said.
As a result of their first-place finish in the contest hosted by TrustedHousesitters, Supai and Mill won a vacation, with $5,000 in vouchers toward flights and accommodations.
The prize package includes a complimentary TrustedHousesitters membership, allowing them to continue their adventures with pet-loving house sitters. Supai will also enjoy a year’s worth of pet food, ensuring she stays fueled for her next adventures.
“We are overjoyed to celebrate Supai as the ‘Happiest Pet on Earth,’” said Angela Laws, contest judge and head of community at TrustedHousesitters. “Her story of transformation and adventure is a beautiful reminder of the unbreakable bond between pets and their owners.”
“She is just the sweetest girl ever,” Mill said. “Anyone who meets her is like, ‘This is the most special dog I’ve ever met.’”
Reach the reporter at zbradshaw@gannett.com or on X at @ZachBradshaw14.
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