A large Great Dane and her two owners had a challenging hiking experience near Revelstoke, B.C. last weekend, but it concluded positively with a full-service stretcher ride down a mountain. The 10-year-old, 120-pound dog tore her paw pads while on a hike with her owners on Mount Macpherson on Sept. 13, as reported by Ren Bassette, the manager of Revelstoke Search and Rescue.
The owners decided to seek help when they realized they couldn’t carry their injured dog all the way back. They activated the emergency SOS function on their phone. Despite the provincial government typically not reimbursing search and rescue teams for non-human rescues, the dropping temperatures on the mountain and the owners’ urgent need for assistance justified the rescue operation.
The owners, unprepared to stay outside overnight and unwilling to leave their dog behind, were fortunate to receive help from another hiker who lit a fire to keep them warm while they waited for assistance. When the rescue team arrived, they bandaged the dog’s paws and placed her in a wheeled basket stretcher. The dog remained calm during the rescue operation and seemed to enjoy the ride down the mountain.
The owners followed their dog on foot, wearing extra clothes provided by the search team. Finally, around 1 a.m., the search team loaded the dog into the owners’ vehicle, and all three, including the Great Dane, are reported to be in good condition after the ordeal.
