When an Injured Hiker’s Dog Got Left on the PCT, This Rescue Team Sprang Into Action

The Washington State Animal Response Team dispatched to the Goat Rocks Wilderness after another crew had to airlift a dog’s owner out without her.

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A view of Mt. Rainier from the Goat Rocks Wilderness. (Note that this is not the exact spot where rescuers found Rosie.) (Photo: Vince Barnes / iStock via Getty)

A dog and her owner are both safe after a two-day rescue mission by one of the United States’ only animal-specific SAR teams

On Monday, the Washington State Animal Response Team (WSART) received a call requesting they rescue a large-breed dog named Rosie on the Pacific Crest Trail in the Goat Rocks Wilderness. Another team had rescued Rosie’s owner by helicopter after the hiker suffered a serious injury, but the aircraft hadn’t been able to transport Rosie. Instead, she was secured on site and the rescue crew passed her coordinates on to WSART.

Upon receiving the call, WSART dispatched a crew to the area, which staged at the trailhead in preparation for a dawn start. The next morning, the team began the 7.5-mile trek to the coordinates provided by the first rescue team as additional crew members began the long drive from Seattle to assist.

Named for the mountain goats hikers often spot in the region, Goat Rocks Wilderness is known for its steep, volcanic peaks and challenging terrain. It’s also relatively isolated, which draws many intermediate and advanced backpackers to the alpine. The rugged conditions can make rescues of any kind challenging.

“One important factor for this rescue is the setting,” the team wrote on Facebook. “This stretch of the PCT is especially challenging with loose scree, unstable rock, snowfields, and weather that can shift quickly. At this time of year, that also includes a snow field. When Team 1 reached the snowfield, the map showed the trail running beneath the ice. The slick surface made it unsafe to cross. They cautiously picked their way through a field of obstacles, testing each step for stability.”

As they hiked towards Rosie, the initial rescue crew navigated a ridge line, powering through strong, chilling winds. As they neared the spot, the rescue team spotted Rosie’s owner’s backpack but couldn’t find Rosie, since she blended in with the terrain.

Two members of the rescue party began the descent over precarious, unstable 30-55 degree slopes while leaning into the side of the hill to maintain their balance and avoid sliding down the scree field.

About halfway down, they saw Rosie 150 feet below the trail, sitting on a sleeping bag. Upon reaching her, Rosie initially growled at the rescuers, who said they paused to give her time to get accustomed to them. By the time they had untangled her leash from the rocks, she was ready to follow them.

“Once released, she hesitated but with steady encouragement, stood and allowed the two to guide her back uphill,” said officials. “Once back at the ridge line where the ground was much more stable and safe, they gave Rosie treats and water, earning her trust and appreciation.”

Rosie managed to hike back to the trailhead before being reunited with her owner at the Packwood Fire Department.

In its post, WSART noted that it was aware of “controversy” surrounding the first team’s decision to leave Rosie on the mountain, and emphasized that, while every rescue is different, “one detail we find in common is that every team we have met and worked with have been professional and worked as hard as they could to make sure the rescue was as complete as possible.”

“Sometimes there are no good choices, just less bad ones,” WSART wrote. “In this instance, the helicopter crew could not take Rosie, but made sure a team was sent who could, as soon as they could.”