BAKER CITY, OR – Rescue crews in northeast Oregon responded to a call for help after an injured dog was reported this past weekend.
At approximately 4:44 p.m. Saturday, Baker County Dispatch received a report that a dog had fallen down a steep embankment in the Marble Creek area while hiking with its owner, Gennie Dethloff. Dethloff had limited cell service but was able to contact a friend, who then alerted law enforcement.
Sheriff Travis Ash deployed the Baker County Search and Rescue (SAR) Ropes Team to the location. SAR members made contact with Dethloff, who explained that she had reached her dog, named Auggie, after sliding down the embankment. However, with Auggie weighing nearly 70 pounds, she was unable to carry him back to the road.
SAR personnel hiked about 800 feet down the embankment through thick, brushy vegetation and challenging terrain made more difficult by wet weather conditions. Upon locating Auggie, the team found he was cold, wet, and unable to use his hind legs.
After retrieving supplies and setting up a rope rigging system, SAR members wrapped Auggie in a sleeping bag and secured him to a litter. He was then transported back up the embankment, where Dethloff was waiting. Auggie was taken to the Animal Clinic in Baker City for treatment.
The Baker County Sheriff’s Office thanked the Search and Rescue team for their quick response and Dr. Matt Kerns of the Animal Clinic for providing veterinary care. The Sheriff’s Office and the SAR team expressed hopes for Auggie’s full recovery.
