Judith Pede stayed strong for the three days her son was missing while delivering a dog to a new home in Colorado.

Jason Pede, 31, of Chesterton, had been driving from Dulce, N.M., to Aspen when the gasoline in his car ran out and he became stranded in the Rio Grande National Forest. He was rescued Sunday morning.

"When I heard his voice for the first time I broke down crying," said Judith, who lives in Valparaiso.

"I wasn't expecting a good turnout. It's not that I didn't trust my son to do the right thing," she said. "It's just that I'm a mother."

Jason had been stuck in his snow-covered Lincoln Navigator, keeping himself hydrated with Mountain Dew and snow while staying warm in the SUV.

He was in Southwestern Colorado delivering an Australian Shepherd rescued from a puppy mill to a new owner.

He was rescued when he walked seven miles to the road and signaled for help with a flashlight.

Jason's wife, Amanda, and the couple's three children flew out of Chicago late Monday to reunite with him in Colorado, Judith said.

Jason told The Denver Post a "local" told him about a shortcut to Aspen and that's how he became stranded in snow that went above the hood of his vehicle.

Pede told The Denver Post he and the dog drank a couple of cans of soda, a bottle of water his kids left in the car and snow that he melted with a fire made from eight chairs that originally were to be delivered to a woman in Topeka, Kan.

Judith Pede said her son's wife helped her stay strong as days went by with no word from Jason.

"She said, 'I'm going to stay positive about this because whenever you drop Jason off he can always find his way home,' " Judith said.

Amanda pushed police to search for Jason and helped by providing photos of him and the SUV he was driving, Judith said.

"She put it all together on a flier and called the police," Judith said. "She was just a pit bull. She's Jason's guardian angel."

Jason works escorting truck-drawn big loads and took the job delivering the dog as a sideline to help out during tough economic times, Judith said.

He's the kind of person who would make sure the dog was kept safe throughout the ordeal, Judith said.

"The dog was helpless. That's what kept him going," she said.

Jason and his family likely will be on their way back to Chesterton within a few days.

When she sees her son, "I'll probably squeeze him 'til his eyes pop out," Judith said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.