A rough excursion for a very large dog and her two owners ended on a positive note last weekend, with a full-service stretcher ride down a mountain near Revelstoke, B.C.
The 10-year-old, 120-pound Great Dane was out for a hike with her owners on Mount Macpherson on Sept. 13 when she tore her paw pads, according to Revelstoke Search and Rescue manager Ren Bassette.
“She was an angel,” she said. “A 100 per cent good girl.”
Bassette said the dog’s owners didn’t want to make the injuries worse and knew they couldn’t carry their large pooch all the way out, so they activated the emergency SOS function on one of their phones.
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Typically, Bassette said, the provincial government won’t reimburse search and rescue teams for non-human rescues, but she said temperatures on the mountain were dropping rapidly and the owners needed urgent help too.
Bassette said the two weren’t prepared to spend the night outside, and weren’t willing to leave their dog behind.
Thankfully, another hiker stopped and lit a small fire for the owners and dog to keep warm as they waited for assistance, said Bassette.
“They were in good shape when we arrived.”
Basette said their team bandaged the dog’s paws and loaded her into a wheeled basket stretcher.
“She was so calm,” said Bassette. “And she looks like she enjoyed the ride.”
The owners walked out behind their chariot-riding dog, wearing extra clothes the search team had brought in.
Bassette said the team finally loaded the dog into her owners’ vehicle around 1 a.m., and that all three are doing well.
