Northern California search and rescue crews located the dog and her four puppies, who had been left behind after the remote area was forced to evacuate.
A Rottweiler and her puppies are recovering after being trapped for days in a car left behind in the raging Park Fire in California.
On Wednesday, July 24, residents in the northern California area of Cohasset were “frantically evacuating” as the Park Fire — now considered the sixth-largest wildfire in the state’s history — tore through Butte County.
According to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), one resident’s truck broke down as they were trying to evacuate, and they had to leave their car behind—with their two adult dogs and the dogs’ puppies still inside. Although the owner immediately told firefighters and other authorities where they left the truck, first responders couldn’t access the area right away due to the intense wildfire, the sheriff’s office said.
Three days later, on Saturday, July 28, BCSO Search and Rescue officer Trevor Skaggs and a helicopter pilot flew into the area to search for the pups and their parents. After landing a mile and a half from the abandoned truck’s location, Skaggs ran the distance to the vehicle, where he miraculously found the mother and all of the puppies still alive, the sheriff’s office said — although they were tired and extremely thirsty.
The puppies’ father did not survive, the office added.
According to the sheriff’s office, Skaggs fed the dogs a few bites of a protein bar, gave them a drink of water, and led them back to the helicopter to be transported to safety.
“Trevor hiked to the truck, released the happy canines, and played pied piper on the way back to the helicopter for the trip to medical care and the emergency animal shelter,” the North Valley Animal Disaster Group wrote in a Facebook post. The group, which also assisted with the rescue, shared the news alongside an adorable video of the Rottweiler pups and their mom following Skaggs back to the helicopter.
After bringing the mother and her four puppies back to the helicopter, Skaggs and several of the North Valley Animal Disaster Group rescuers took a minute to pose for photos with the pups. The animal group then took over the dogs’ care after everyone arrived back at the Chico airport.
Cal Fire announced that as of the morning of Monday, July 29, the Park Fire has been 12% contained and has burned over 360,000 acres, destroying 109 structures and causing evacuation orders for thousands.
“It’s been a horrific few days for our community, and we are grateful to be able to share this amazing story,” the sheriff’s office wrote.
No human fatalities or injuries have been reported from the Park Fire thus far, but the fire has made its way through California’s Butte, Plumas, Shasta, and Tehama counties. Cal Fire also reported that the Park Fire’s suspected origin is arson, and one suspect is under investigation.