One dog and his owner are lucky to be reunited thanks to the kindness of animal lovers. Bailey, a 100-pound German Shepherd, was immobile following the ascent to the 13,939 ft summit of Mt. Hope in Colorado. Unable to carry the dog himself, Bailey’s owner descended the peak to seek assistance. Fortunately, the Chaffee County Search and Rescue North (CCSAR-N) was able to rescue Bailey and reunite him with his owner after an almost 12-hour rescue mission. CCSAR-N doesn’t typically respond to animal rescues, but stated that “we are all *officially* huge animal lovers, so do what we can when we can.”
[googlemaps https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d396767.51225063164!2d-106.7493381971997!3d39.02110294716297!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x876aa4365efa7201%3A0x4618e0fcc7b5dc11!2sMt%20Hope!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1689186387064!5m2!1sen!2sus&w=600&h=450]Here is the social media statement from CCSAR-N:
“At ~14:15 hrs on Thursday, July 6th, CCSAR-N was alerted to a dog in distress at ~13,600′ near the summit of Mt Hope. Bailey, a 100 pound German Shepherd, was immobile and unable/unwilling to continue after having summited earlier that afternoon. After a few hours of trying to coax him along, his owner determined that he was concerned for his own wellbeing and needed to descend himself, but could not carry Bailey down the class 2+ ridge.
Using coordinates from a cell phone ping to determine Bailey’s general location, two hasty teams of 8 members total fielded at ~14:45 hrs to the Sheep Gulch trailhead and hiked ~7 miles up the east ridge of Mt Hope. Following a brief search, members were able to locate Bailey, who greeted the team with grateful wags. Members alternated carrying Bailey in a dog-sling backpack to slowly transport him back down the ridge.
An additional team of 6 members fielded at 20:40 hrs to provide litter carry assistance to wheel Bailey back down remainder of the trail from the Hope Pass saddle. Hiking teams were supported by additional CCSAR-N member providing radio-relay at the TH, since comms in the vicinity are limited.
By 01:15 in the morning of July 7th, almost 12 hours after the call came in, all 20 members involved in the incident were out of the field. Bailey’s owner was able to retrieve him from the SAR bay in Buena Vista and ensure he had a soft, comfortable bed in which to recover from his long day. Most recent reports are that he is doing well and will receive a full vet check as soon as possible.”
As a reminder, keep your pets’ safety in mind before taking them on an outdoor adventure. If you plan on bringing your furry friends on a potentially difficult trek, consider carrying a dog rescue backpack.
Photos Courtesy of CCSAR-N