Hiking Mount Olympus in Utah is no easy task. It’s a 7.5-mile-long trail one way that’s described as “strenuous” with a 9,026-foot peak on the east side of the Salt Lake Valley.
The toughest section of steepness comes with a gain of approximately 4,100 feet over the course of 3.75 miles. Now that’s a workout!
Just before the saddle below the summit, an adorable pooch named Leo began to tucker out. The 120-pound furry labrador retriever started out strong on the hike with his owner but suddenly started to struggle.
As they were scaling the mountain in 100-degree temperatures, Leo began showing signs of dehydration and heat exhaustion.
So his human gave him water in the hopes of reviving him. But Leo didn’t come around…
“He laid down and would no longer move on his own. The hiker used all the water that he had left to try and hydrate and cool the dog off.”
His human called for help and it arrived in the form of volunteer rescuers with the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s search and rescue team.
Normally 30 members strong, the volunteers were ready to save the distressed dog. Although time was of the essence when a victim is struggling, the volunteers were loaded down with gear divided among two teams and had to hike all the way up the mountain in the blazing sun to reach them, which slowed them down.
When the rescue team finally reached Leo and his human, the team gave them water and tried to rehydrate them. They attempted to cool Leo off with water and by fanning fresh air at him.
Leo eventually was able to drink 4 to 5 liters of water but couldn’t regain his footing. The water hadn’t revived him enough to make it back down the mountain, unfortunately.
Thankfully the search and rescue team was fully prepared for all circumstances. They never know what to expect so it’s all hands on deck for every type of situation.
“He was [too] weak, so he was loaded into a litter and was taken down the mountain as quickly as possible. That process still took several hours. The team was off the mountain around 10:20 p.m. Unified Police had made arrangements with a local vet to get Leo to them as soon as he was off the mountain.”
As soon as everyone reached the bottom of the mountain, Leo was loaded into a police officer’s car and with lights flashing and siren’s blaring, Leo was rushed to the vet. His owner was stressed, but rebounded quickly, the department reported.
“Thankfully an afternoon thunderstorm blew in and cooled the temperature off a bit. Leo looked happy and relieved to be getting the help he needed to get hydrated and get off the mountain. We hope that he can get the medical help he needs … and pull through.”
The rescue took a total of six hours and 20 minutes, the department noted. But knowing they were saving such a sweet boy as Leo made every second in the sweltering heat worth it.
The sheriff’s office reminded residents that pets don’t respond and cope with the heat like humans.
On an 85-degree day, the temperature inside a car with the windows opened slightly can reach a stifling 102 degrees within 10 minutes. After 30 minutes, the temperature will reach a deadly 120 degrees.
“Remember your 4-legged friend doesn’t regulate heat as well as you do. If [you’re] going to hike with your doggy leave early, or wait a few more months until it cools off.”
Even though pet owners are aware that it’s dangerous to leave a pet in a car when temps are in the 70s and warmer, not everyone thinks about how an animal handles the heat when out in it.
The Humane Society noted that on very hot days, limit exercise to early morning or evening hours, and be especially careful with pets with white-colored ears, those who are more susceptible to skin cancer and short-nosed pets who typically have difficulty breathing.
Thankfully, the sheriff’s office was able to update its social media followers and shared that Leo was beating his heat exhaustion and his kidney function was returning to normal. All he had to do was start walking steadily again and he would be able to go home.
The search and rescue team performs approximately 100 rescues per year just like this one, free of charge. Thank goodness for kindhearted, determined rescuers like them!
We wish Leo a speedy recovery! Remember to be careful out there in the heat.
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