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SALT LAKE CITY -- A man who made a risky drop to save a stranded puppy is now trying to find a family for it.
The dog that Salt Lake resident Zak Anderegg rescued from a slot canyon near Page, Ariz., has recovered enough to be discharged from the hospital.
He says the dog is passing fluids and solids, so his kidneys seem to be working better. However, the dog does have distemper.
"The end result is neurological damage of some sort," Anderegg said. "So until he fully recovers from his current condition, we won't really know what kind of neurological issues he has."
It could take a while to see how much neurological damage is done, if any.
"On the light side, he may have a little bit of a twitch or he may suffer mild seizures, or it could be worse," he said.
Anderegg says he is emotionally invested in finding the dog a good home. After all, he rappelled over 300 feet to retrieve it.
The dog was close to death when Anderegg found it at the bottom of a slot canyon, stuck in a pothole. It was severely dehydrated, and Anderegg says it was barely alive.
The recovering dog is under quarantine for two weeks to make sure it doesn't spread any diseases to other animals, so Anderegg can't take care of it.
"I have a dog and I have two cats," he said.
A friend is watching the dog for a while, but Anderegg says he wants to find a permanent and loving home for it.
"This dog has been through such hell," he said. "I would love to see someone adopt it and just give it a very happy, cushy life."
Anyone interested in adopting the dog can reach Zak at zak@wrench-it.com.
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
