Whenever you’re in trouble, just yelp for help. District of North Vancouver firefighters will be there.
Assistant fire chief David Dales got a dispatch Tuesday from a woman in a panic saying her puppy was in medical distress on the Hyannis Trail above Blueridge.
It turned out the puppy was a six-month-old Great Dane weighing in at 95 pounds.
“The lady was quite distraught. I’m a dog guy, so I get it,” Dales said.
Dales deployed a squad equipped with a four-wheel-drive vehicle and basket stretcher normally reserved for two-leggeds. It only took them about 12 minutes to reach the woman and her pup, he said.
“They did a medical assessment as best they could. They’re trained to do medical aid on humans. They gave the dog some oxygen and they packaged up the dog and extricated the dog out of the trails.”
Once out, they helped their patient into a waiting van so it could be taken to the vet.
Dales couldn’t say what was wrong with the dog and they haven’t had any followup with the owner.
Animal rescues happen typically once a year for the crew. Dales said his teammates never mind.
“We call it a ‘call for assistance’ and if we’re able to help using our skill set, our equipment and our firefighters, we’ll always help. We help with cats in trees, flooded basements and when dogs are in distress on trails. It’s just part of what the fire service offers the community of North Van District,” he said.
Heading into the Labour Day long weekend, North Shore Rescue has reported a drop in the number of rescues required in the backcountry this year, but in the front country trails, Dales said there’s been no slowdown whatsoever.
“As busy as years past or busier,” he said.
District firefighters average 150 trail rescues per year, with the Grouse Grind and Quarry Rock being the hot spots. It has been a surprisingly quiet season for rescues out of the pools at Lynn Canyon, Dales acknowledged. That’s something he attributes to cooler temperatures keeping people out of the water but also the district’s park rangers who educate visitors before they wind up in over their heads.
“Those park rangers do amazing work every day,” he said.
