Overheated dog rescued from hiking trail above Glendale
GLENDALE, Calif. -- An overheated dog had to be airlifted from a hiking trail above Glendale over the weekend. It was a frightening reminder about protecting your four-legged friends during hot weather.
A hiker sent out a call for help when his chocolate lab became overheated.
AIR7 HD captured the moment a firefighter cradling the dog was hoisted by a helicopter from a mountain trail.
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Veterinarians say extreme heat is as dangerous for dogs as it is for humans.
"Even more so because they're covered in fur, and they can't sweat, so there's only one real way they can dissipate heat just by panting, panting, panting," said Dr. Andreas Andreou with Animal Specialty Group.
The dog was seen walking around after rescuers examined him. It appeared to be OK.
Meantime, heat exhaustion may be what caused the recent death of a family pet in San Diego. The family went for a morning hike with their long haired German shepherd, Hogan.
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Even though they saw signs saying "do not bring your dogs on the trail today," they headed up a mountain trail, not thinking the heat was a big problem.
However, they soon realized something was wrong with Hogan.
"And he laid down and he wouldn't get back up," said Lexi Bouck, Hogan's owner.
Hogan was carried back down the trail.
"When we got down here, he wasn't breathing. We didn't think it was going to be that bad. It was really bad," Bouck said.
Hogan did not survive.
Experts say pet owners need to pay attention to the warning signs of overheating.
"If they just can't keep up for whatever reason, if they're panting, if they're slowing down, just stop. Put them in the shade, have some water ready for them," Andreou said. "If it's hot for you, it's way more hot for them."
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