A 160-pound dog injures its paw on a hike at Saddle Mountain in Oregon and was carried down by firefighters down the mountain on Friday, July 12.
The dog, an unnamed Great Pyrenees, was hiking when he suddenly refused to keep walking, the Cannon Beach Fire District wrote on a July 15 Facebook post.
“The poor baby’s paws were raw/cut and [it] needed assistance down,” the Fire District revealed.
The Fire District also revealed this isn’t the first time they had been called to assist a dog down the mountain.
“Over the years, we have had several calls for dogs that needed assistance off the mountain due to dehydration or cut/raw paw pads.”
They said Saddle Mountain isn’t very dog-friendly. “Although saddle mountain signage and the state park website states that dogs are allowed but must be on a leash, it is not very dog friendly.”
They explained that the trail has “copious amounts of welded wire fencing on the ground” to provide hikers traction and to make sure that the trail remains stable. However, the wires stick straight up, so they can hurt a dog’s paw.
In saying this, the Fire District recommended that if you must bring your dog on a hike to Saddle Mountain, you should let it wear dog booties.
“Walking on wiring and rocks for an extended amount of time can be very rough on your fur baby,” they added.
The Cannon Beach Fire District shared photos of the rescue, which they did with the help of the Hamlet Volunteer Fire Department, the Gearhart Volunteer Fire Department, and Seaside Fire and Rescue.
The photos showed the Great Pyrenees being carried on a stretcher and photo of the how the welded wire fencing actually looks like.
Furthermore, the Fire District suggested that pet owners should take it slow when bringing their pets on the trail. They wrote, “Just as we humans can build up calluses by incremental exposure to rough surfaces, you can do the same with your dog if you plan on frequent hikes or know they’ll be walking on rougher surfaces throughout their life.”
“Start with shorter periods of time on these surfaces to let the pad build up toughness over time.”
According to the Oregon State Parks website, Saddle Mountain’s main trail is “steep and difficult in spots”.
“Because parts of the trail are on solid or sometimes chunky rock, there is wire mesh on it to help stabilize and protect it from erosion. The hike is recommended for experienced hikers wearing proper footwear and clothing,” the park overview read.