Lost Bernese Found After Two Weeks on Steep Mountain

The dog, Ohly, got away in thick snow on a steep Vancouver slope.

After the story of Missy, we know the lengths people go to when a dog is lost on a mountain. In that instance, strangers banded together to scale 14,000-foot Mount Bierstadt, near Denver, and save the dog, garnering much media attention. 

Recently, another dog became lost on a hazardous, steep, snow-covered mountain, and the public, spurred on by social media, sprang into action. The good news: After two weeks on the mountain, the dog was safely rescued by North Shore Search and Rescue officials. The concerning news: the well-meaning public got a little crazy in trying to help. 

On Nov. 25, Ohly, a Bernese Mountain Dog, was out for a walk with a family friend on Mount Seymour in North Vancouver, when he bolted from the parking lot of a ski area and became lost. Later, he was seen on a mountain ski run and in the community of Deep Cove. 

As the days passed, social media kicked in after owner Steve Goad set up a Find Ohly Facebook page. The concerned public, many of them strangers to the dog and Goad, wasted no time in getting to work. 

Harookz Noguchi got out his barbecue, carried it up the mountain, and fried up some bacon and smokies, hoping to entice the dog out. 

"If we were to lose our dog, it's like losing a child to us, so I understand how hard it must be for [Goad] and his family," he said to CBS News. 

Another volunteer, Nat Hunter, hiked in with a friend ... and two fried chickens.

"They're so incredibly loyal and you sort of feel that if it was reversed, they would do the same," Hunter said.

All the ad hoc volunteer efforts made Tim Jones of North Shore Search and Rescue a little nervous. On Saturday, the group brought in a helicopter. The area where the dog was lost was called Suicide Gully, after all. 

"You get safety breaches, you get all sorts of things and that's why we want to get this dog out. It's a public safety issue," he said. 

Fortunately, it didn't take long to spot the dog, who was stranded, helpless, on steep terrain. It took crews a few hours to recover the dog. 

"We rescued the dog from a very very steep cliff area where it would've remained," said Jones. "And we are very proud of what we did, doing this in the interest of public safety because this dog was going nowhere."

"This has been a very difficult day for our team ... but we persevered and got the job done with the dog."

Well done. As for Ohly, he's fine -- a vet said he's in good condition, if a little dehydrated. He is a Bernese Mountain Dog, after all.  

Via CBS News; photos via the Find Ohly Facebook page 

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After Weeks of Confinement, Dre the Pit Bull Is Free

He escaped from his family's home and faced euthanasia as a "vicious dog," but he gets to go home.

Dre the Pit Bull is free! And he has been reunited with his family. 

For those who have been following along, we rejoice in sharing the news that officials in Brighton, CO, have given Dre back to his family after they'd spent nearly two months apart. Dogster readers will recall the plight of Dre through our exclusive updates throughout August.

On July 26, one of Mary O’Brien’s children accidentally pressed a button on the remote garage door opener at their home. O’Brien’s cousin was babysitting and did not realize what had taken place. Dre and Machomotto, the family’s dogs, ran outside through the open garage door.

Apparently, several people called animal control, with another person calling 911 to report vicious dogs on the loose. It was reported that five officers were needed to obtain Dre, though none of them was injured either through bite or scratch. (With five strangers chasing me, I can’t say I’d react the same way.)

The authorities released Machomotto (not a Pit Bull), but then quarantined Dre and labeled him "vicious.” What ensued were weeks of agony for the family, questionable treatment of the dog, and isolation of Dre from his family, his special food, and his necessary medications. Dre’s health began to deteriorate, and he had allergic reactions, according to the family.

Dre sat in a kennel, locked in a tiny area. He was stressed and confused. I would be, too, and probably gnawing at myself in the same situation. He got little interaction, and he waited. We all did.

Dogster last reported on Dre on Aug. 21. Supporters held silent protests and contacted television news stations. A lawyer from Animal Law Center joined the case. Backers circulated a petition online and got more than 60,000 signatures. Thankfully, Dre was moved from animal control and his isolation kennel to a foster care situation with the group Canine Candor, who saw the gentle personality of Dre.

According to Denver Westword blogs, the Animal Law Center hired a behaviorist, who revealed that Dre is not vicious. A judge then urged the city of Brighton to assign its own behaviorist to test Dre. The test exposed Dre to an umbrella opening, a gun being fired, and other loud sounds, and he reacted, but he had a very quick recovery time. The analysis revealed he is stable and well mannered. Again, if someone shot a gun around my dog, I know he would run for cover.

The city and the family reached a plea agreement, according to a report by Examiner.com, which includes animal-care guidelines and follow-up evaluations. A fine and security requirements are also part of the deal. Dre, however, is home, and it is reported he will be training for Canine Good Citizenship.

To Mary O’Brien and all of Dre’s family, along with the Animal Law Center, thank you for believing in the power of good and never giving up.

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Denver News Anchor Speaks Two Weeks After Dog Bit Her Face on TV

Kyle Dyer, optimistic, forgiving, and wiser about how to act with a strange dog

The recovery of Kyle Dyer, the Denver news anchor whose face was bitten by a dog on live TV two weeks ago, is going very well. She has a great attitude, and says she has learned about getting too close to a dog’s face. She is a very gracious woman who harbors no ill will toward the dog, and is glad he is back with his family — as she finally is with hers.

Here’s an interview with her two weeks after the bite, which required 70 stitches to her mouth and nose. Her mouth had to be stitched shut for a week and a half to promote a graft’s healing. That had to be pretty tough. (For more background, read one of our previous posts.)

Hey, just a thought: Dyer has had enough bashing from people calling her names for getting so close to the dog. The harsh comments from around the world (including some right here on Dogster) could not have been easy for her to read. I hope any comments for this post will err on the side of gracious, to match her attitude.

Source: Denver Post

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I’m Marching Off with Soldier Dogs for a Few Weeks

My Dear Dogster Friends,

As many of you know, I have been very hard at work researching and writing my next book, Soldier Dogs, which goes deep into the fascinating world of military working dogs.

It has been a very exciting few months of immersing myself behind the scenes with these four-legged heroes and their devoted handlers and trainers. I’ve traveled to some incredible places during my research, and have seen some amazing things. I’ve been told dozens of riveting stories of military dogs during both wartime and peacetime. Some are gripping adventures, others are heartrending, and a few are even quite humorous.

The book looks at every facet of the lives of military working dogs, from breeding to training to deployment to what happens when they are no longer able to serve. Soldier Dogs even explores dogs’ senses — some of which may surprise you, and all of which are groomed by the Department of Defense to help save lives.

The focus always returns to the deep bond between most dogs and their handlers. We all know how well bonded we are with our own pets, but imagine being in a war zone and having your life and the lives of possibly dozens of others depending on your dog’s nose and your ability to read its signals. Add to this the fact that in war settings, dogs can be with their handlers almost 24/7, even sleeping in the same sleeping bag or cot, and the bonding is profound.

I’m getting a little sidetracked from my main reason for writing this post, because I am so intrigued by the subject (which is always handy when writing a book), and could talk about it for hours. But now the reason for this post:

I want to let you know that because my deadline is so fast upon me, I have to devote every possible moment to the book. You may have noticed I’ve already cut back on the number of blog posts I’m doing, but it’s getting to the point where I am going to need to march off with the Soldier Dogs for a few weeks with no other writing obligations. Dogster’s supergreat managing editor, Janine Kahn, is very supportive, and will be in charge of making the blog an awesome place to visit in my absence. (Thank you, thank you, Janine!)

Well, off to my “deployment” to my writing cottage in the backyard. I’ve got Jake at my side, so I am in good hands. (He could never have been a military working dog … or could he? Find out next spring when the book comes out! Jake isn’t telling a soul before then.)

I will miss the blog and all of you, but will see you again in late October/early November.

If you’re interested in pre-ordering Soldier Dogs so you can be the first on your block to have it, do so via this Amazon page.

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Japan Dog Rescued After Three Weeks in Floating House

A dog who survived the massive earthquake and tsunami of March 11 and, also three weeks at sea, is rescued by Japan Coast Guard members (Photo: Reuters/Japan Coast Guard Handout)

With all the terrible news that keeps pouring out of Japan, here’s one that puts some hope in what seems so hopeless. The Japan Coast Guard has rescued a dog who had been at sea in a sinking house for three weeks after surviving the devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Coast Guard rescuers were flying over debris when they spotted a brown dog trotting around the roof of a house — all that was left of the house above water. The dog then disappeared into the house through a hole in the roof. Thinking there may be human survivors, one rescuer was lowered to the house. He tried to coax the dog out, but couldn’t, so he went in after the dog. He came back out with the dog in his arms and the two went back to land via boat. (No people were found inside.)

How did this dog manage? What must the dog have been thinking during this strange and frightening situation? How long before the house went under? It’s an amazing story, and one that could easily be retold in a children’s book or even a movie one day. The happiest ending will be if the dog’s people are alive and they are reunited and can start life over again, together… I’ll try to keep you updated if anything like this happens.

Happy ending update, 10 a.m. April 4: The dog’s owners have been found! They are scheduled to be reunited with her today. Check out the updated CNN story here. More later (I am enroute from Rome to Athens, so it might be a little while.) Thank you to the Dogsters who sniffed out the updates!

(Source: Reuters)

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My definition of crazy: Seven weeks, 30 cities, a big bus and a dog

This week Dr. Becker and I are wrapping up “Your Cat: The Owner’s Manual” for publication next spring with the fantastic assistance of Jana Murphy and our own Kim Campbell Thornton, not to mention the scores of top veterinarians and other experts we’ve ask for input and review to make sure we have the latest and greatest in  feline information. And just 15 days after that manuscript goes to the publisher, the book we wrote last spring, “Your Dog: The Owner’s Manual,” gets its official launch by Dr. B on “Good Morning America.”

He’ll stay in NYC to do a circuit of national shows, make a fast stop in Princeton, NJ, for a book-signing, and then fly to Houston to meet me, my dog McKenzie, and a 45-foot wrapped bus and a  crew consisting of tour manager, bus driver and a couple of tour assistants to help with events and drive the chase car. On April 25, we start our BIG Bus Tour, with a series of events in Houston, then hop on the bus for the drive to New Orleans … then Tampa … then Miami … then Jacksonville … then … well, you get the picture. Our days will start before dawn with media interviews, then a lunchtime event for veterinarians, then a public event at a PETCO. Every day, five days a week, for seven weeks.  (Above is what the bus will look like, so please wave if you see us!)

Yes, it’s completely insane, as all truly wonderful ideas are.

We’ve been planning it for months, and at times we weren’t sure we’d pull it off. The number of moving pieces in a tour like this is truly astonishing, and if any one of them doesn’t fit just so  the whole enterprise is in peril. But we locked them in, one by one, with the help of Dr. B’s agent’s team and my own much-appreciated Sacramento graphic designer and web team, as well as our publicist, Kathie Kerr, whom you’ve already met.

For those of you near one of those 30 cites, I hope you can turn up and say hello. Here are the details. But really, that’s not what I’m writing about today.

I have four dogs, one cats, eight chickens and two ducks. Getting personally ready for this tour is, for me, something akin to planning the invasion of Normandy. Although I’m not an inexperienced traveler, packing to be away from home for nine weeks (I’m leaving early for Texas to visit with my friend Mary on her ranch before the trip) is pretty challenging. At least McKenzie, who’ll be the official tour dog, doesn’t need to pack clothing — two simple vests with her name on them (one red, one purple) will be her entire wardrobe for the tour, along with some fancy leashes and collars. Throw in some tennis balls, a lot of poop bags, 40 pounds of Honest Kitchen, some probiotics to help prevent G-I upsets (I’ll be on my own probiotics as well!), Frontline and Heartguard, a crate, some shampoo and the all-important tennis balls (so important I list them twice) and she’s set.

Not so me.

Every week we’ll have a day for laundry and rest, sometime two, so there’s that. But I still have to pack enough “business casual” to get me through five or six days straight, with enough diversity to handle everything from heat waves to downpours. Oh, yes, and since my role (in addition to dog-walker) is reporting on the tour, my biggest challenge is electronic: Coordinating the laptop, iPad, videocam, smartphone and digital SLR for a continuous stream of updates to multiple media platforms  — including McKenzie’s page! Honestly, I love that stuff, so the actual work of it is a challenge I can’t wait to tackle. But the packing? Ohhhhhh … hate.

Then there’s the home front issue, and in this, I got lucky. A former colleague who’s between homes will be staying at the house with his dog, caring for the animals who remain here, Ilario and the poultry. Since he’s a writer, he’ll also be taking over my pet duck’s popular Facebook fan page.

As for the three dogs not traveling with me: Drew is staying up north with regular blog commenter Susan Fox. Faith, the youngest retriever, left for Mary’s ranch a month ago (I’m taking advantage of the opportunity to get the youngster field-trained, since Mary’s one of the best field trainers around). Woody and McKenzie will drive to Texas with me, and Woody will then stay on the ranch for a vacation — although I doubt Mary can stand to keep from putting more training on him, too!

You know … now that I type it all out, the fact is most everything IS locked down, and I’m in great shape! I guess really, there’s not much else to do but enjoy the adventure. And yes, I intend to!

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