A 120-pound Great Dane received an unexpected first-class ride down a mountain after hurting her paws during a hike. Once rescuers arrived, they made sure the injured dog wouldn’t have to take another painful step.
credit Revelstoke Search and Rescue
The 10-year-old Great Dane had been hiking Mount Macpherson near Revelstoke, British Columbia, with her owners on September 13 when the pads on her paws became badly torn. Her owners tried helping her continue down the mountain, but her injuries made walking extremely difficult. Carrying a dog of her size all the way down was also not realistically possible.
The situation became even more concerning as temperatures began dropping toward freezing. The couple wasn’t prepared to spend the night in the alpine environment, and they refused to leave their beloved dog behind.
They activated the emergency SOS feature on one of their phones, bringing Revelstoke Search and Rescue to their location. While waiting for help, another hiker stopped and built a small fire to help keep the couple and their injured dog warm. Fortunately, everyone remained in stable condition until the rescue team arrived.
credit Revelstoke Search and Rescue
Once rescuers reached them, they carefully wrapped the Great Dane’s injured paws with bandages. Then they came up with a much better solution for getting the heavy dog safely off the mountain: a wheeled basket stretcher.
“She was an angel,” Revelstoke Search and Rescue manager Ren Bassette said. “A 100 per cent good girl.”
The Great Dane seemed completely comfortable with her unusual ride. She remained calm while rescuers pushed the stretcher along the trail toward the waiting vehicle.
“She was so calm,” Bassette said. “And she looks like she enjoyed the ride.”
The rescue team also provided extra clothing to help keep the dog’s owners warm as they followed behind their four-legged passenger.
credit Revelstoke Search and Rescue
After hours of careful work, the rescue finally came to an end. Around 1 a.m., the Great Dane was safely placed inside her owners’ vehicle, and the family was able to leave the mountain together.
What began as a painful hiking accident ended with a remarkable rescue — and a very good dog who got to ride safely back home without having to put her injured paws on the trail again.
