The Enterprise-Record recently covered a rescue involving a SAR member, a Sheriff’s Office pilot, and some adorable puppies. Author Jennie Blevins described the rescue as follows:
It’s a doggone good thing people like Trevor Skaggs and Conner Smith were on the ball Saturday.
Skaggs, a Butte County Sheriff Search and Rescue helicopter technician and search and training officer, and Smith, a pilot, rescued four Rottweiler puppies and their mom from the horror of the Park Fire around 4 p.m. Saturday, giving them a ride to safety after they had been left behind in a disabled car.
The dogs had been left in the vehicle — with its windows rolled down — in the woods near Campbellville, which is above Cohasset, after their owners had to make an emergency evacuation Wednesday.
Skaggs and Smith got a call from North Valley Animal Disaster Group alerting them to the situation and, after confirming they’d be in an area safe from the fire, began their rescue mission.
They flew up in the helicopter and were able to find the vehicle with GPS. Skaggs ran down the hill to the vehicle, which was about a mile and a half away from the chopper.
“We saw dog prints all over the ground, which was a good sign because they were fresh,” Skaggs said.
Four of the Rottweilers were outside the car and one puppy was on the front seat. Skaggs said the dogs were very parched and tired and didn’t come to him at first.
“They seemed apprehensive when I approached,” Skaggs said. “I do some animal handling and I knew I needed to gain their trust. It took them about five minutes to come over to me, but we became friends after they realized I had food and water. They were excited about that.”
Skaggs said there were still “smoldering piles” on the ground but at that time they were not facing the head of the fire. He said the mama dog had been nursing the puppies.
“She was exhausted,” he said. “I did a rough medical exam to make sure they were OK. She was the most dehydrated.”
Skaggs said the puppies are between two and three months old. The daddy dog had unfortunately died.
The helicopter ride took about 10 minutes, and one of the puppies decided to assist Smith in the cockpit — bringing new meaning to the phrase “Dog is my co-pilot,” of course. The dogs were taken to the Chico Airport, where they received medical exams from a veterinarian.
You can read the full story here.