Posted on 04/09/2011 7:19:40 AM PDT by JoeProBono
A Bernese mountain dog that spent two weeks lost in the North Shore Mountains near Vancouver was rescued yesterday by a helicopter team from a cliff ledge east of Grouse Mountain.
A hiker spotted Hurley on Thursday near Mosquito Creek and owner Darwin Schandor hired the North Shore Rescue team to bring him home.
Tim Jones, the team's search manager said the rescue turned out to be more complicated than they originally anticipated.
"The dog was well below originally where we thought. We spotted it on a ledge and it was trapped. It couldn't move off this ledge," said Jones.
So the team took advantage of the situation to practice a complicated helicopter rescue technique that involves lowering rescuers by a long cable down to the ground.
"We did our 200-foot long-line rescue. Mike and Jeff — I sent them in with the dog harness and within about 10 minutes they coaxed the dog into the harness and the rest is history, the dog is back with the family," he said.
Owner Darwin Schandor says his family was thrilled to get Hurley back.
"When they brought us over, he ran over to me and I and I've never been licked so much in my life, but I was really speechless," he said.
Hurley, who normally weighs about 50 kg, dropped nearly 10 kg in the two weeks he was gone, but is otherwise doing well, said Schandor.
"I've got my family back together — a wonderful feeling — a little exhausted because it's been 14 days of pounding the North Shore Mountains to find him, but the whole time we've had unbelievable community drive behind us and with us,"
Schandor says Hurley really brought the community together with hundreds of people helping to search and nearly 100,000 hits on his Facebook page
That is Dagny...she has a fluffy coat.
Dogs are the best gift God every gave the human species. We really, really don’t deserve such goodness. But at least when people act together to help a dog like this, perhaps we earn a few credits in the heavenly ledger.
Don’t call yourself “southern claw” for nothing, right Zube?
Lower MY Taxes. lol.
but who does pay for this?...is there some govt tax directed for pet rescues?....if one of the rescuers fell or the helicopter crashed, who would be sued for millions?
The dog, of course. In Milk Bones.
Eye to eye, those two are in love. So sweet, the dog’s expression is so maternal and the baby....with all the things they put in their mouths, a lick from the dog’s tongue won’t hurt.
Gorgeous.....
it says the guy who owned the dog paid for it. he hired the team to go get his dog. nice
the rescue crew said they also got to try out a new rescue maneuver, so I bet they gave the owner a reduced rate..and of course, the PR they got.
dogs and horses. just saying.
there is now research to prove that babies, toddlers that have a dog have improved immune systems cause of the “dog kisses’..I guess slowly introducing some new, realtively benign ‘germs” to the infant, helps them create a stronger immune system.
Dagny thanks you.
Right. Even crawling on the floors and playing in the dirt allow children to be kind of immunized against “benign” germs.
Hey you turned this into a Corgi thread.....it’s all good.....I have never owned a Corgi but find them irresistible......big brave dog personality in a hardcore little body.....and they love to have fun
The story said the dog owner was paying for it.
That last one is pretty cute.
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