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Dog injured in Desolation

by Timothy Bowman

Four paws does not mean sure footing.

An El Dorado County Animal Control rescue team responded to a report of an injured dog at Horsetail Falls, just east of Strawberry on U.S. Highway 50 Wednesday at 11 a.m.

A 130-pound bull mastiff injured its hind leg and a front leg falling from an unknown height Tuesday. The animal was unable to walk. The owner’s identity was unavailable Wednesday.



The dog’s owner was reportedly camping with friends at the top of the falls when the accident occurred. The hike to the scene of the accident takes about two hours from the trailhead at Highway 50.

The owner and friends tried to carry the dog out in a sleeping bag but, due to the dog’s size and the approach of nightfall, they decided to camp another night according to Senior Animal Control Officer Robert Gerat.



“They tried carrying him down in sleeping bag and that did not work,” Gerat said. “They spent last night up on the mountain. They were trying to get down yesterday and I guess it got dark on them and they had to spend one more night up there.”

Rescue teams started out on the Horsetail Falls trailhead at about 1:45 p.m. Wednesday. They were still working to bring the dog to safety Wednesday evening.


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