“Injured and exhausted” dog rescued after climbing England’s highest mountain

An “injured and exhausted dog” was rescued after climbing Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England, on a hike with his owners on Sunday. 

According to a Facebook post by the Keswick Mountain Rescue Team, the owners requested support after the dog began “refusing to move” while on a return walk after hiking the mountain. The rescue team did not say what injuries the dog had sustained. 

The rescue team met the owners along the trail that leads to and from the mountain. Scafell Pike is located in England’s Lake District National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is the country’s highest mountain, reaching over 3,200 feet, with multiple hiking trails. The shortest trail takes just three hours, but longer routes can take up to nine hours. It’s not clear what route the dog and its owners were walking on. 

The dog’s owners were “starting to feel the cold,” but once they met with the rescue team, the dog was “made comfortable” in a fleece-lined carrying bag that was then placed on a stretcher. 

“Despite being quite a large dog at 33kg (about 73 pounds) it was a joy to carry such a relatively lightweight casualty,” the rescue team wrote on Facebook. Photos show the dog, bound to the stretcher, being carried across a grassy stretch of the valley and down a rocky hill. In one photo, rescuers are seen smiling at their patient. 

According to the rescuers, the unnamed dog remained “cool, calm and positively regal throughout” his return journey. After getting off the mountain, the dog and owners were brought to Keswick Team Base, where they were reunited with other members of their group. 

According to a website advising hikers on climbing the mountain, it is possible for pets and children to climb the peak, but hikers must prepare with appropriate equipment, suitable footwear, enough food and water, and making sure all members of the party have the appropriate fitness and skills to do the hike safely. 

A similar rescue took place in 2020, when 16 rescuers worked to carry a 121-pound Saint Bernard who had collapsed while descending the mountain. Rescue workers said the dog had displayed signs of pain in her rear legs and refused to move.