Hurley the dog gets a welcome pat after being rescued by members of the North Shore Rescue team
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
Hurley the dog gets a welcome pat after being rescued by members of the North Shore Rescue team
Bernese mountain dog
nice post
they dont say how he got lost
mountain climbing, no doubt
Rescued Doggie-Ping!
They are the sweetest dogs. I have one in my life, 65 lb. of love.
Doesn't say how much the rescue COSTS. Who's paying for this heroism???
Oh yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhh....don’t have one but...these dogs are awesome. From what I understand people who couldn’t afford other stock would use these dogs for the heavy chores and I guess they performed outstanding. Beautiful dogs too and from what I understand...loving and good natured. Expensive too but...
when we’re talking about a life...who cares? We pay for a lot of stuff that is senseless and useless and doesn’t matter. This was a family member and anyone who has dogs, cats or whatever their pet is loves them like family. I love seeing people pull together for such a humanitarian reason. Now the dog and family are reunited and it’s a happy ending. Be happy for the family and their dog. It’s a nice story. Also, if someone were lost and they brought this dog in to help find them...I’m sure he would give his life towards that effort. Dogs are like that...yeah they are. :)
What's this? Something not done on the taxpayer's dime?
I do wonder what that cost, but if the guy is footing the bill, doesn't matter to me.
Nice chinchilla....
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