Rio Rancho Dog Rescuer Finds Missing Albuquerque Woman in Desert Shrubs

Gina Morris had been chasing a loose dog through the scrub of northern Rio Rancho for days without success. What finally drew her deep into the brush near Mountain Hawk Estates last week was another sighting tip, but what she found there was far more than a stray poodle mix.

The skittish female dog led Morris directly to a 37-year-old Albuquerque woman curled up among the shrubs, two days after the woman had been reported missing. Community posts on Nextdoor had noted sightings of her traveling on foot through the Mountain Hawk Estates area, near where she was ultimately found.

"It was actually one of those things where you think: divine intervention," Morris said. "I was meant to go up there. If it wasn't for that dog, I wouldn't have been there, and I don't know when somebody would have spotted her."

Morris, now in her 70s, is a retired Farmington city clerk who has spent years volunteering as a dog rescuer in Rio Rancho. She had been trying to capture the stray female dog for days before the two discoveries converged. After the woman was found, the poodle mix that had resisted Morris for so long willingly jumped into her vehicle.

Morris named the dog Lilly and plans to keep her if no owner comes forward. She said the moment was proof that dogs know when a person is in need.

The missing woman's name has not been released publicly. Details about her condition and whether law enforcement agencies conducted a formal search in the Mountain Hawk Estates area have not been confirmed.