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Hiker climbs 13,000ft to rescue Missy the German Shepherd after owner left it to die
UK Daily Mail ^ | 8-16-2012 | Emily Anne Epstein

Posted on 08/17/2012 11:47:30 AM PDT by Mountain Bike Vomit Carnage

Two Denver hikers are locked in a bitter battle over the fate of a German Shepard named Missy, who was abandoned by one and then rescued by another at 13,000 feet.

Scott Washburn found the dog bloodied and near-death atop Colorado's Mt Bierstadt and then organized a search and rescue party to save her.

He wants to keep the dog, alleging that Anthony Ortolani lacks the ability or compassion to care for the creature, which went without food and water for eight days.

But Mr Ortolani says he didn't abandon the animal, an oncoming storm forced him to choose between staying by her side and perishing, or going down the mountain without her.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2189640/Canine-custody-battle-Hiker-climbed-13-000ft-rescue-Missy-German-Shepherd-wants-owner-forced-leave-dog-mountain.html#ixzz23pYWurwx

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Outdoors; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: dog; doggieping; germanshepherd; hero; kindness; love
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To: freedumb2003

So you and your child and dog are stuck on a mountain. The dog is injured and a storm is coming. You can rescue yourself and child if you leave the dog behind. Or you stay and all three of you may die. You would deny your child a chance at a full life for a dog? Bull. And if you did you’re a crappy parent. I love my dog but my three sons are 1000x more important. Get some perspective man.


61 posted on 08/17/2012 2:02:01 PM PDT by strider44
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To: Mountain Bike Vomit Carnage

I think we should let Missy decide - I’m sure she’d make the right decision :-)


62 posted on 08/17/2012 2:06:02 PM PDT by Fast Moving Angel (A moral wrong is not a civil right: No religious sanction of an irreligious act.)
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To: trisham

I would not leave my dog to die even if I was going to die. I would pray for divine intervention. The guy who left her is abominable.


63 posted on 08/17/2012 2:10:38 PM PDT by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: The KG9 Kid

you mean the moron in the underwear


64 posted on 08/17/2012 2:20:45 PM PDT by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: strider44

>> I love my dog but my three sons are 1000x more important. Get some perspective man.< <

You are on a life raft. There is only food for 2 people for a few days. You have 2 kids both under 5 years old.

What do you do?

You have 2 kids and somehow have criminals grab you. They will shoot one of them. You name the one. What do you do?

I can play this all day.

I am saying my decision deals with me and me alone. The dog and I are a pair. Period (actually I am mentally substituting my beloved kitty who sadly passed a few years ago).

Many people with pets refuse to be rescued if their pets aren’t rescued as well. And rightly so.

That isn’t the situation here so false imperatives really aren’t in play.


65 posted on 08/17/2012 2:21:58 PM PDT by freedumb2003 (obozo could bring back literal slavery with chains and still he will get 85+% of the black vote)
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To: colorado tanker
He may have assumed that she was dead. I would never have been able to do that. It would haunt me for the rest of my life to leave my dog there, and then to not go back and bring her home for burial? Never.

This man behaved without thought or concern for this animal who trusted him, and the one who went back and saved her is a hero. Who loves this dog?

The man who went back to find her, without knowing whether she was even alive.

66 posted on 08/17/2012 2:23:18 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: kingu

>>Legally, it is property. It is private property. Animal or not, this does not change.<<

The term you are searching for is “chattel.” And, thank God, courts are now applying different standards in evaluating pet cases. For example, my departed kitty was probably “worth” a buck or less.

But if someone harmed her, they would — in most jurisdictions — be on the hook for all the vet and care costs, even if that ran into the thousands.

It might be a bit less of an issue for animals raised as food. But I have to admit I don’t know how the laws apply to farm chattel.


67 posted on 08/17/2012 2:27:41 PM PDT by freedumb2003 (obozo could bring back literal slavery with chains and still he will get 85+% of the black vote)
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To: kingu

There are animal welfare laws for good reason.

I’d say both taking her up there and walking her across sharp rocks until she could walk no more were abusive acts, and not making any effort to go and recover her thereafter—except for seeing if the government would do it for him—was pretty offensive too.

The knucklehead doesn’t deserve to have her back and she’d be better off without the knucklehead. But as someone pointed out earlier, the chances are probably pretty good that he will get her back.


68 posted on 08/17/2012 2:46:49 PM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: freedumb2003

I have two GSDs , brother and sister and they would have found all three of us there in this situation. My dogs wouldn’t abandon me and I wouldn’t abanson them.


69 posted on 08/17/2012 2:51:24 PM PDT by depenzz (As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in public schools.)
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To: yldstrk
I have a feeling he salts his conversations with modern hep-cat words like 'bro', 'dawg', 'boss', 'brochacho', etc. and uses exclamations like 'Noice!' and 'HEE-yul yeah!' while trying to give fellow idiots high fives and bro-hugs after skillfully executed moves are made playing 'Madden 2012' on his XBOX 360.

I hate idiots like that. Give his dog to those granola hippies who saved it. The End.

70 posted on 08/17/2012 3:00:46 PM PDT by The KG9 Kid (Semper Fi)
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To: gundog
Eight days!!! The ASS said that he 'assumed' she was dead.

He didn't even have the heart to go back for her - dead or alive.

Any decent person would want a decent burial for a beloved pet. This scum left Missy to die like a piece of trash!!

He shouldn't be allowed anywhere near her again.

71 posted on 08/17/2012 3:08:09 PM PDT by LADY J (You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have. - Author Unknown)
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To: trisham

My guess is the authorities are going to investigate to see of he is guilty of neglect, abuse and abandonment of the dog which would allow them to take the dog away from him to give to the rescuers. This guy may regret fighting for the dog because he might end up being prosecuted.


72 posted on 08/17/2012 3:13:09 PM PDT by colorado tanker
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To: T-Bird45
Lovely dog! The way the climber forum pulled together to save her is fantastic, great story. Tip to the original poster - DailyMail image linking isn't allowed but they get all their pictures from other sources so you can just search google images for an allowable image. I think this one from ABC news is okay:


73 posted on 08/17/2012 3:27:01 PM PDT by Teflonic
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To: trisham
Okay, animal lovers. I just sent this story to my siblings and one of my sisters responded about how there is no question of custody, but she also wrote:
"An anti-Obama coward lured a stray cat with food and then impaled it and burned it alive."

I did an internet search and yes, there's a story out there about it and it is sickening. I guess it is being considered a threat directed at Obama.

The body of a burned cat and a message directed to President Barack Obama were found in Longfellow Park, city and federal officials said.

Minneapolis police, the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service and other agencies responded to the message a parks employee found Monday near the Longfellow Park and Recreation Center, a voting location used in Tuesday's primary election.

Dawn Sommers, spokeswoman for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, said the cat's body was found with a political message attached to it at the south end of the park.

[Source is Twincities.com: Minneapolis: Reward offered after burned cat, anti-Obama message found in park]

I don't know what to say.

74 posted on 08/17/2012 4:02:00 PM PDT by arasina (So there.)
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To: colorado tanker
Why on earth would he even bring his dog on such a treacherous outing?
75 posted on 08/17/2012 5:16:04 PM PDT by NoGrayZone (For evil to triumph it is only necessary for good men to do nothing.)
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To: dirtboy

It sounds to me the guy (not man) was thinking more about his own interests and passions, and less about those under his care and protection.

A man puts the care and protection of those (human or animal) with whom he is entrusted BEFORE pursuit of his own interests and passions.


76 posted on 08/17/2012 5:49:02 PM PDT by Altariel ("Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!")
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To: BCR #226
Two points:

There is a road almost to the summit of Mt. Evans. Someone could have driven up there to go down tothe dog and then picked the dog and rescuers up slightly lower.

The dog was at ~13,000ft elevation. The climbers didn't start at zer0 ft, so they had to climb many fewer thousand feet than the title implies. It could have been a lot less if they took the road.

77 posted on 08/17/2012 5:50:55 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: trisham; the OlLine Rebel

I’m glad the dog survived this ordeal.

(Oh, and German Shepherd ping! )


78 posted on 08/17/2012 6:01:41 PM PDT by Altariel ("Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!")
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To: colorado tanker

My guess is the owner will be charged criminally with animal cruelty and abandonment, then be offered a plea deal if he agreed to surrender the dog, pay for vet fees, and agree not to have another dog.


79 posted on 08/17/2012 6:50:40 PM PDT by chrisinoc
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To: Joe 6-pack

The first owner abandoned the dog to death and it should be dead in his life. The second owner gave the dog his life and deserves to keep it.

Its pretty obvious to me and I wouldn’t abandon my dog even if I had to carry down on my back.

By the way, what kind of idiot takes a dog into such a place in the first place?


80 posted on 08/17/2012 7:07:09 PM PDT by ZULU (See: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=D9vQt6IXXaM&hd)
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