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SALT LAKE CITY — A dog on a hike was rescued by firefighters after it became dehydrated Tuesday.
A hiker was walking a friend’s two large dogs on the Red Butte Gardens trail when the dogs became distressed, according to Salt Lake City Fire Department spokesman Jasen Asay. Other hikers noticed the dogs were not doing well and called 911 at about 3 p.m., he said.
The dogs, reportedly Rhodesian Ridgebacks according to Animal Control officers, each weighed about 140 pounds.
One dog died before firefighters arrived on the scene, Asay said. The dogs were 2 miles up the trail.
“Firefighters found one dog that was still alive and they started giving it some air, got it some water and tried to get it into the shade as best as they could and started to revive it,” he said.
Once the dog started coming around, the heavy rescue team was able to get the dog on a stretcher and bring it off of the trail. Firefighters also retrieved the body of the dog that died.
"Salt Lake County Animal Services wants to warn pet owners of the deadly consequences of dehydration when it comes to their pets.
We have talked extensively about not leaving your dog in a car due to the temperature rising quickly. However, we are responding to incidents in which pet owners are not providing enough water for their pet when outside. If you take your pet walking, hiking, to the dog park, any physical activity, please bring plenty of water. This also applies to dogs left in your backyard, on your balcony, basically anywhere outside. Be sure to leave plenty of water.
A dog's average body temperature is 100 to 102 degrees, and if that reaches 107 degrees or higher, the animal could suffer permanent brain damage or die.
If you, as a pet owner, have any doubt if your pet should be inside or out, leave your pet inside. This is going to be a hot summer and we want everyone, pets included, to stay safe and cool."
The owner of the dogs was notified of the incident and came to the scene, Asay said.
“It was kind of a bittersweet thing for everyone involved,” he said. “We know that dogs feel like they are a part of people’s family and a lot of our firefighters have pets, so anytime we are able to help out in a situation like this we love to do it.”
Asay said the incident is a great reminder that dog owners need to be extra cautious during the summer. Whenever dogs are outside of the house, he said people should make sure the dogs are properly hydrated and get time in the shade.
“One easy thing to think about is if you need water or if you’re feeling hot, then your dog is also in the same situation,” he said.
The fire department has already responded to the Red Butte Gardens trail multiple times this summer to help hikers who were lost or injured, Asay said. This is the first time this year it has responded to the trail for a dog rescue.
Asay said firefighters occasionally help with rescues like this where dogs are in distress. In recent months, the fire department has also assisted owners whose pets have been stuck in trees.
“It’s another way that we can serve the community and it’s something that we enjoy doing,” he said. “Obviously if there’s a house on fire we’re not going to take resources away from fighting a house fire to help remove a cat from a tree, but if we’re available to help in these types of situations it’s something that we love to do.”
