Story of Survival: Dog is rescued after months in a Utah desert

SANDY, Utah (KSTU, KTVU) -  A dog owner is recounting his mysterious discovery near the Utah Salt Flats-- a severely malnourished dog, furless and covered in sores and scabs.

It's unclear exactly how long the dog had been wandering in the middle of Utah's West Desert but animal care officials suspect she was there at least three months and probably wouldn't of survived if Matt Bentley hadn't come to the rescue of the wandering pup that was in need of urgent care.  

Bently says it was because of his own dog he had ventured to a popular off roading area known as the "Knolls" on Sunday evening.

He was celebrating his dog Bella's third birthday with an adventure in a new area, when he noticed something off in the distance.

"I wasn't sure what it was at first... Came up to me, I could tell it was friendly so I grabbed it, put it in the jeep," Bently tells KSTU/Fox 13 reporter Lauren Steinbrecher.

Bentley took cell phone video after rescuing the dog and says that's when it really sunk in what a dire condition the dog was in. 

Lila Oulson at the Utah Animal Adoption Center got word of the rescue and immediately took in the pup.

"I have never seen a dog in that bad of shape," Oulson said.

Animal care workers say they don't even know what kind of dog she is.

The animal suffered from problems including mange and malnourishment.

But despite her condition, they say her personality and her spirit are in good shape.

"She's just being so sweet and she wants to be around people," Oulson said.

Her caretakers have named her Kelly, which means warrior-- a pretty appropriate name, they say, for a dog with a miracle story of survival.