Dog rescued on Mt. Bierstadt - More Details

14ers.com ^ | 8-14-12 | Anthony Ortolani

[AlmaKing]

Re: Dog Found: Mt. Bierstadt! by aortolani14 » Tue Aug 14, 2012 4:34 am

Hi all,

I am the owner of the German Shepard girl found on Mt. Bierstadt.

I need to know the name of the vet clinic that Missy is at so I can go see her and re-reimburse them for helping her, and if I am fortunate enough, to bring her home.

I am at a complete loss of words. My gratitude for the people involved in this is without measure.

Missy was hurt during an attempt at crossing the Sawtooth. It was Missy, a friend and I. Her paws got bloodied up right in the belly of the sawtooth. I was assisting her with the climb using ropes and a harness for a while but she kept getting hurt worse. A few kind hikers stopped and offered some assistance but incoming weather pushed people off of the saddle. My friend and I realized that we could not get Missy up the saddle to Evans or Bierstadt safely so we decided to bail off of the saddle into the valley between the two mountains to escape the incoming clouds. We were lowering her for a while with ropes from boulder to boulder but she was hurting herself worse against the rocks sprawling out and catching them with her legs. Eventually she just stopped standing or moving at all and I knew she was pretty badly hurt. I picked her up on my shoulders and was hopping from boulder to boulder but I couldn't keep her on me. I dropped her once and I almost fell once too and I realized that I couldn't carry her off of the mountain. At this point I made the decision that I honestly never thought I would even be faced with. I left her there so that my friend and I could get down safely with intentions of calling S&R when we were off of the mountian. We both spent about two hours trying to move her up and down the mountain and were pretty exhausted. Neither one of us wanted to hike up the saddle with the cloud cover growing so we continued down into the valley and hiked back to Guanella Pass Rd. It was a lot farther than we thought it would be, and we got lost several times. A group of hunters showed us the way out and gave us a ride back to our car. Thank you to them as well.

I called the 911, the sheriffs office and search and rescue and I was told that it was to risky for them to send rescue crew up there for a dog, which was upsetting but understandable. I'll admit that while trying to get off of the the mountain I was not as concerned because I was focused on making it safely off of the mountain, but once I was safely at my car I was overwhelmed with the loss, and the decision to leave her there. The next couple of days was absolutely horrible wondering about her, if she was alive, or if she died. Thinking about her suffering was awful beyond words. Many confidants comforted me by saying that she was probably gone from injury. All I can say is that I am relieved that she is okay, I am ashamed that it was not me that started this thread, I am ashamed that it wasn't me who got her off of the mountain, I underestimated the good will and resolve of the hiking community of Colorado, and I am eternally grateful to all of you and to 9news. I humbly beg the forgiveness of the community and most of all my Missy Girl. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.Top --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

aortolani14 ProfilePrivate messageE-mail aortolani1414er Peak List Not Entered Posts: 20 Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 4:05 amReport this postReply with quoteRe: Dog Found: Mt. Bierstadt! by aortolani14 » Tue Aug 14, 2012 5:13 am

I am reading through all of these threads, and I am just in awe of how heroic and amazing everyone is that did this. I also see all of the anger and hatred towards me and the decision that I made. I feel that I deserve it all. I made it in a panic to be sure, and what I felt was a survival situation. I didn't think to post on 14er's.com to ask for everyone to come fix my colossal mistake in judgement. It is truly amazing that all of you did it on your own. I don't have proper words. It was several days before I would have even been able to even think of walking back up Bierstadt much less into the sawtooth and to try and carry Missy out, and after that I just thought it would be to late. I honestly never thought that I could just ask strangers to go check the sawtooth and carry my 112lb German Shepard out. I don't know what to say. Thank you again to the community, and to those who are angry I am so so sorry. Missy has done 6 14'ers and she loves being out there in the mountains. She depends on me to make smart choices, and taking her into the sawtooth was beyond foolish.

[AlmaKing]

This is a George Zimmerman type of prosecution. So called dog lovers pushing for prosecution based on little to no information. All they consider is the headline.

HE ABANDONED HIS DOG!!! Oh my God, let’s hang him...

[mountn man]

Nor is it clear how the gov't could charge the B0z0 with animal cruelty when the gov't wouldn't help to rescue the dog after notification of the situation.

So let me get this straight.

The government was notified of the dogs situation, so the government instantly becomes responsible for the dog.

Because the governmemnt didn't do anything, they can't charge the guy with anything.

You sure you're on the right site?

I think you want Kos or DU.

[Paladin2]

No, there are two separate issues.

The owner returning to the dog vs. giving up.

The gov't not responding to a request for assistance but then spending plenty of taxpayer resources to punish the perp for not doing it himself.

[ncalburt]

your among many who would do the same. the total strangers came back for the dog the next day. its there dog now I hope.

[Paladin2]

Because the governmemnt(sic) didn't do anything, they can't charge the guy with anything.

Pretty much. Why is the gov't spending any money on this? It was likely cheaper to do the rescue.

Justice would leave the dog with the rescuers. The gov't doesn't need to be involved after the fact.

[Revolting cat!]

If I were a dog, I don’t think I’d wanna be rescued from Mount Beer State!

[Politicalmom]

You don’t know anything. I’ve read every scrap of information, and I read that forum DAYS ago. I bet I know far more than you do.

[ncalburt]

exactly. the guy left his injured dog for the mountain lions and coyotes to rip apart.
and never went back period.
was he a new yorker ?

[Paladin2]

"was he a new yorker ?"

Certainly possible. He's obviously not an American. Git 'er done; Let's roll; etc.

[RegulatorCountry]

If by CONSERVATIVE you mean an irresponsible, lazy, heartless oaf who threw up his hands when the government wouldn't do it for him and left the dog to die, not even caring enough to get his butt back up there to retrieve her remains for a proper burial, then you're mistaken. It's a moderately strenuous hike and clearly a well traveled trail. Summer snowstorms are not summer snowstorms below 8,000 ft or so. He was not on the summit. He had an able-bodied 19 year old with him. There were passing hikers who overheard his conversation. There were numerous calls from concerned hikers for days, to the point that, finally, concerned total strangers got a group together and went to do what this man should have done the very next day at a minimum.

Chest thumping? You have no idea what you're talking about. Had that been me, the dog would have come down with me if I had to beg for help from passersby. Slung across my back most likely. But, it wouldn't have been me because I would have turned back with the first bleeding paw, not kept going until the dog was a bleeding, lame mess that could go no further.

Maybe you're different, more... utilitarian about such matters. I hope you have no animals in your care if so.

[null and void]

Are you Anthony Ortolani by any chance?

[CedarDave]

Earlier thread with pictures. The difference between him and the rescuers, is that the ones who found her organized a rescue attempt to return to get her down. He abandoned the dog, others found it and went back for it and they now want to keep it. He may be prosecuted for his actions. In the face of that possibility his trying now to atone for what he did doesn't cut it.

Hiker climbs 13,000ft to rescue Missy the German Shepherd after owner left it to die

(picture from ABC News not dailymail.co.uk)

[cripplecreek]

My life conforms to my pup because he can't make the decisions the way I do. Pretty much all my decisions include some thought about how it affects him.

[Jonty30]

I would say that the owner of the dog was careless in not considering the limitations of the dog’s conditions when they went out.

I can understand leaving the dog behind, out of necessity, because it’s not going to do anybody good to have have both dog and owner dead.

[Paladin2]

How is going back the next day (with assistance if possible) not of the ultimate priority?

[MS.BEHAVIN]

“She depends on me to make smart choices, and taking her into the sawtooth was beyond foolish.”
No kidding.

This sounds like a tough area, and I am surprised he brought the dog at all.
This person sounds like someone who makes a mess, and depends on “OPs” (other people) to clean it up for him.

Why was he surprised that S&R is for people only?
Sheesh.

[x1stcav]

I’ll bet Ortolani never served in the Infantry.

You never leave a member of the unit behind unless they’re dead, missing, etc. and it is tactically impossible to retrieve the.

Then, when tactical conditions allow (or you impose your will on those conditions), you return, search for them, and bring them out if possible.

Had to do this and it is considered duty.

I look on craigslist and see any number of people trying to find a home for their dog because they are moving, the dog needs more ‘attention’ or whatever.

Moving? The dog is part of the unit. Where the unit goes, they go.

Really simple.

[Paladin2]

"Moving? The dog is part of the unit. Where the unit goes, they go.

Really simple."

Hear, Hear! (It's a pack thing)

[nuconvert]

I can’t believe you’re defending this guy.
Where was he on the 2nd day when the couple found his dog? Was he climbing up there to retrieve her? No Where was he on the 3rd day? Was he climbing up there to retrieve her? No.
He left her up there to die.

[x1stcav]

I assume you’re not being sarcastic, but, yeah, it’s that simple.