Dog News

Firefighters Save Dog Who Almost Died from Heat Stroke

by Katherine

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On May 1, 2014, firefighters Jesús Gasset and Alfonso Vidorreta from Marbella, Spain, saved the life of a 100 lbs American Stanford dog who suffered a heat stroke when he went on a hike with his owner and two other dogs in La Concha (shell) mountain.

According to Marbella24Hours, a group of 12 individuals met up early in the morning to begin their hike up the mountain, and among the members of the group were three dogs. However, when the cool air of the morning lifted, a strong heat took over and unfortunately one of the dogs was affected.

The American Stanford got dehydrated, fell to the ground and was unable to walk. His owner was not carrying any water and had no way to hydrate and save his pet. His only options were to either leave the dog behind to die a painful death or call local authorities requesting help.

Marbella firefighters Jesús Gasset and Alfonso Vidorreta save the life of a dog suffering a heatstroke.
Marbella firefighters Jesús Gasset and Alfonso Vidorreta pictured with the dog they saved.

 

Being an animal lover, the pet owner called authorities and Marbella firefighters were dispatched to assist in the case.

“We have rescued other animals before, but never a dog,” said firefighter Jesús Gasset. “Thanks to the mobile app ‘WhatsApp’ we were able to communicate and locate the pet owner and the dog in need.”

Firefighters drove up the mountain but then needed to walk approximately1 hour on a trail until they found the dog and his worried owner.

“The dog was very dehydrated, most of his skin was wrinkled and his tongue had turned purple,” said Gasset, “but once his owner saw us coming, he knew his dog would be saved.”

The hero rescuers offered the dog some water and tried to help him back on his four legs, but this was impossible. Instead, rescuers loaded the canine on a stretcher and descended the mountain.

The trail was at times treacherous and for the pet’s own safety, Gasset and Vidorreta had to carry him in their arms. Luckily for the men, other hikers along the trail were more than willing to lend a helping hand and get the dog to safety.

The rescue took more than 3 hours in total but by the time firefighters, the pet owner, and the dog arrived back at the starting point, the canine had been completely re-hydrated and was walking on his own.

The experience was just an unforgettable and scary one, and fortunately for the dog and his owner, it had a happy ending. Now the dog owner knows to be well prepared for his next hiking trip and has promised to never again endanger the life of his loyal four-legged friend.