Dog airlifted from San Gabriel Mountains after suffering heat exhaustion
With temperatures reaching the mid-90s in Glendale last weekend, authorities conducted two separate rescues of dogs that became overheated on the city’s hiking trails.
The most daring rescue occurred on Sunday when a dog had to be airlifted from the San Gabriel Mountains after the chocolate Labrador became stranded with his owner on a trail near Mount Lukens. According to Anita Shandi, a spokeswoman with the Glendale Fire Department, the dog suffered from heat exhaustion as well as cuts and bruises to his paws rendering him unable to walk.
Authorities from the Burbank and Glendale fire departments were called to the scene to help the dog and the hiker, who was a Glendale resident.
Shandi said a helicopter from the Los Angeles Fire Department eventually airlifted the two to Deukmejian Park. The dog was subsequently taken to a veterinarian to be examined.
The owner of the dog will not have to foot the bill for the airlift.
In an email, LAFD spokesman Peter Sanders said the department has mutual aid agreements with neighboring cities and counties and does not charge individual people or other departments for rescues.
Charges would only be made if a person was transported by helicopter to a hospital for treatment. In that case, Sanders said the cost would be similar to an ambulance ride.
On Saturday, Glendale firefighters were called to Brand Park after receiving word of a hiker who became stranded and whose dog was suffering from heat exhaustion.
While that dog was not airlifted from the area, it received water and was taken to safety.
Twitter: @Andy_Truc
UPDATES:
July 21, 2017; 4:54 p.m.: This article was updated with information about the airlift from the Los Angeles Fire Department.
This article was originally published at 1:10 p.m. on July 19, 2017.
