Copter airlifts stranded dog
Shepherd-husky cross spotted near Ruck-A-Chucky rapids
No one knew its name or where it was from or even how it got there. But a stranded dog alone and isolated between a raging stretch of the American River and a steep cliff mobilized a team of emergency workers for a daring rescue effort Friday. The canine has now been reunited with its owners after a harrowing two days on an isolated shoreline. The rescue started in earnest Friday when an El Dorado County animal control officer was flown onto the rock-strewn Middle Fork American River shoreline by a California Highway Patrol helicopter. The officer was able to get to the dog and put a leash on it to lead it to a nearby helicopter pickup point near the river’s edge. Superintendent Mike Lynch, of the Auburn State Recreation Area, said the plight of the white, German shepherd-husky cross had first been reported on Thursday. The dog was spotted stranded in a remote area of the canyon, near Ruck-A-Chucky rapids. The rapids are about four miles north of the El Dorado County community of Greenwood. A park ranger responding to the call found the canine stranded across the river on a steep bank, Lynch said. The river separates El Dorado and Placer counties and the side the dog was found on is the El Dorado County animal control division’s jurisdiction. The steep canyon has been the scene of horse and human airlifts by helicopter several times in the past. Last week, a woman was assisted to shoreline at the American River confluence after getting trapped on an island. Initially, rescue efforts Thursday involved trying to coax the dog across the river from the Placer County side. But after several hours, the attempt was suspended because of the lack of light, Lynch said. Friday morning, state parks personnel and El Dorado County animal control officers again were unsuccessful in getting the dog to either cross the river or move farther downstream. With cloud cover lifting in the afternoon, a Highway Patrol copter with an animal control officer was able to fly in upstream to get near the dog. The officer worked his way downstream along the shoreline to get to the dog and then guided the canine back with a leash to the waiting copter at the pickup point. The female dog had a collar and El Dorado animal control was able to find the dog’s owner because it was wearing a rabies tag. Margaret Williams, public information officer for El Dorado County Health Services Department, said the dog had a few bruises when a veterinarian at the Placerville shelter examined it after its rescue. “He was very friendly and happy to get something to eat,” Williams said. Owner and pet were reunited Saturday afternoon. The dog’s name is “Dog.” It was not known Monday how the dog got to the remote area of the river, several miles from any road or residence, Lynch said. The Journal’s Gus Thomson can be reached at gust@goldcountrymedia.com.
Keywords
American River, El Dorado County animal control officer, Middle Fork American River, California Highway Patrol helicopter, Superintendent Mike Lynch, Auburn State Recreation Area, Ruck-A-Chucky rapids, Greenwood, Placer County, Margaret Williams, El Dorado County Health Services Department, Placerville,
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Dog being walked off leash. It's pretty remote on the El Dorado site but almost accross a campground on the Placer side. Glad the dog made it.
I was down at rucky chucky falls one day and ran into two huge great danes that wondered down from Todd Valley. I got on my SAT phone and called 911, they had CHP and animal control down in about an hour. They took them out and reunited them with the family in Todd Valley.
Glad the dog is ok. Poor little guy.
So, I wonder how much taxpayer money it cost to airlift a perfectly healthy dog out of the canyon? Here's an alternative: find the owners and tell them to go get their dog themselves. It'is a dog we're talking about, not a lost child. Maybe the California Highway Patrol could afford some budget cut backs if they have time and money to go airlifting random animals out of the American River Canyon. If my parakeet flies out the door can I call Search & Rescue? Will the US Forest Service go on patrol to find my escaped gerbil?
I knew somebody was going to bring up taxdollar expense on this. It didn't cost you anything, they were on duty anyway. The helos go out all the time for training purposes, they will use this situation as a training tool.
Stories like this help me keep faith in mankind that we are not all bad. I am glad her the pup got home so many lost dogs don't
Analyst: Some people just can't help themselves--it's like rote memory function.
auburn_outdoors, they practice on the dogs first. Then if a deadbeat- tax evading- personal responsibility rah rah blah blah- type, or better yet, one of their spoiled brats with a fast car, defies gravity (since half of them don't grasp the concept of physics anyway) they have practice with animals that may not be sophisticated enough to follow verbal instructions after being found upside down in some ditch. The dog was smart enough not to get into the icy runoff water, then let itself be caught, and willingly loaded onto the helicopter. This may have been too easy.
that's funny to me localgirl, I would say the story about the young boy trying to raise money for disabled animals restores my faith in mankind more than this does, but ok. I'm happy for the dog, and his owners, and loomis made a valid point in my opinion.
Kitty I just now saw the story on the boy raising money for the animals which indeed gives me a little more faith in our youth. All animals need help sometime regardless of how she got down there the fact they would go to such a great length for a dog does make me feel a little better about humanity. Let be honest humanity has gone down hill recently.
Analyst - Right On!
Analyst,
I'm glad the dog was rescued!
Don't take this as an attack on you, but are you saying it did not cost the tax payer anything for this rescue to occur? I'm glad the dog was saved, but it definitely cost something.
Besides, even if this was a route the helos go on regularly, it still was more of a risk to stop and pick up the dog rather than simply breeze on by.
It's perfectly reasonable for someone to bring up the cost of this rescue when the economy is so terrible right now that teachers are being laid off? It's a valid question and deserves more than ridicule.
Lest anyone think otherwise, I'm glad the dog was rescued!
.....and another thing.
If this was my dog I'd be happy to pay to have him rescued!
Besides... as upset as people get about dogs being off leash - you should be glad that this menace has been taken off the trails before he kills again!
Greg, I didn't say the expense question was unreasonable. I just knew someone was going to bring it up. Also, Is it possible that the dog owner was charged a reimbursment for this rescue?
Analyst,
I don't know if they'll pay or not, but it would be reasonable that they should. I already said I would be willing/happy to pay if it were my dog. This mutt is a lucky one. Saved from another hungry, cold night next to the rushing water, and then a fun ride in a helicopter. Lucky dog!
I find it curious that they never mentioned the owner by name. Anyone ever thought for a minute that maybe in this slow economy, the owner of this animal was potentially dumping it at the river? The article never mentions where the owner lives, but I know the area, the closest residence for a dog to wander from is a mile away and 1,000 ft of elevation higher. Something tells me that dog did not wander off.