Great Dane stretchered off mountain near Revelstoke, B.C., in unusual rescue

Search crews in the British Columbia Interior backcountry made an unusual rescue this week when they stretchered a Great Dane off a mountain trail.

Revelstoke Search and Rescue says in a statement on social media that they were called Sunday evening to Mt. Macpherson after two owners reported the massive dog had torn its paw pads on a hike.

Rescuers say the owners were exhausted from trying to get the 10-year-old dog off the mountain, and were not prepared for overnight stays in alpine terrain as evening temperatures dropped toward freezing.

Pictures shared by the group show the grey and white Great Dane lying with her head up and her front paws bandaged, receiving pats on a wheeled basket stretcher that rescuers say gave her “a first-class ride” back to the trailhead.

Crews were out on the rescue until 1 a.m. the next morning, and both the dog and owners are reported safe.

The American Kennel Club says an adult Great Dane averages around 76 centimetres in height at the shoulder and 64 kilograms in weight, calling them “powerful giants” can “tower over most other dogs.”