A mountain rescue team has praised the “cool, calm and positively regal” demeanour of the subject of a weekend callout: an injured and exhausted dog who got up England’s highest peak but refused to come down.
Rocky the akita and its owners successfully climbed Scafell Pike in the Lake District on Saturday.
The trouble began on the way down towards Langdale, Keswick mountain rescue team said. The dog was exhausted, had a cut paw and was “refusing to move”.
A call for help was made at about 6.25pm on Saturday and 13 volunteers from the mountain rescue team sprang into action.
They eventually met up with Rocky and its owners, who were starting to feel the cold. After making the dog comfortable, they sledged and carried it down the mountain to safety.
“Despite being quite a large dog at 33kg it was a joy to carry such a relatively lightweight casualty,” a spokesperson said. It “remained cool, calm and positively regal throughout”.
After the rescue team posted the incident on its Facebook page there was a mixed reaction.
“Tut, tut, tut,” said one person. “Well done to all involved but the dog’s owners have a lot to answer for.” Dogs are not meant to be walking on the fells and the climb was obviously too difficult, they said.
This led to a spirited defence of the dog and taking them on fell walks. “No judgment please,” said one person, pointing out the dog may have been tired because it was injured.
“Great job,” said another. “I have an American akita myself and all I can say is not at all surprised. Very independent and stubborn dogs and if they say that’s enough then that’s enough.”
Another recalled the day her 32kg labradoodle “went on strike” nine miles into a 10-mile coastal walk in Anglesey. They ended up calling a taxi and “£35 later and back at my car, said labradoodle recovered and starting doing zoomies around the car”.
