I note that the family dachsund survived five days in Death Valley. Given the heat in Death Valley, I believe that the dog would have perished unless it had water to drink -- which could only have come from the humans. To me, this is interesting in that it reveals some sort of intellectual disconnect in the mom. I cannot conceive of a mother (or father for that matter) giving water to a family pet if she thought there was a possibility that the water would be needed for a child. If this mom is like other moms in this regard (and I have no reason to believe otherwise), then this mom did not understand how dangerous the situation was. Did she expect imminent rescue? Why did she expect imminent rescue? Was she so lost that she did not realize how far away she was from the designated camping location? When did the mom realize how dangerous the situation was? My sympathy and condolences go to the family.