By Janet McAfee
The dog’s wail echoed through the granite canyons, carried by the soft winds, the plaintiff sound relaying distress and urgency. It was a scorching June day in the Coachella Valley. Countless stray and abandoned animals die from the elements every year, and the frightened dog on the mountain was about to become another tragic statistic.
I receive many phone calls about abandoned and stray dogs. However, one call that came in this week was extremely urgent. Heidi Simmons, a writer for the CV Weekly magazine and ardent animal lover, spotted a stranded dog up in the rugged granite mountains behind her Desert Hot Springs home. We knew the dog could not survive very long in this extreme weather.
Heidi’s 20-year-old son, Elijah Simmons, first spotted the dog. They named him “Ghost” as the family’s late German Shepherd dog is buried at the base of the mountain, and it seemed her spirit was now guiding this pup. Heidi tells much of the story in her own words.
“Elijah and his girlfriend tried to call the dog, but he ran back into the canyon. At first, they were not sure they had even seen a dog. I went with them later that evening and got a glimpse of his black coat against the tan stark mountain and steep granite canyon. Had it not been for his black color, we would never have spotted him. There are lots of coyotes that live in that canyon, and they posed an additional danger.”
“For me, the situation became very emotional. I do not do well with animal suffering or mistreatment. It makes me ache with sadness. This dog had to be rescued from the mountain or he would have died. The next day I heard barking, crying, and howling echoing through the canyon. But we couldn’t see the dog. Ghost was asking for help. I called for him to come down, but it became obvious he was in trouble. I got my son, and we geared up in hot weather climbing attire. We collected dog treats, food and water. My husband Robin helped navigate.”
“We hiked for 20 minutes before we spotted him with binoculars way up on a cliff. He could not move and was terrified. We could hear the coyotes nearby. My son climbed higher than Ghost, hoping to sneak around behind him without frightening him. I moved up the mountain toward him, holding his attention.”
“When he realized he was cornered and we were there to help, Ghost began to move toward my son – – it was precarious, rocks were falling, and his paws kept sliding downward. Climbing up was easier for him, but climbing down proved to be more of a challenge. We closed in on him, and Ghost went for Elijah, practically falling into his lap. Ghost was unable to walk. I gave him water in Tupperware which he drank down and couldn’t get enough.”
“Terrified and anxious, it was clear Ghost could not walk. I thought the three of us were going to need to be rescued! It was so steep. It is always easier going up than down and now we needed to carry a dog. There was no clear route down – – nothing but ragged cliffs and decomposed granite.”
“My son didn’t hesitate, scooping the dog up and we made our way home, but not without problems. My son fell and slid while holding Ghost…..When it became too rugged, we would hand him off. Even though Ghost is lean, he weighs at least 60 pounds. After an hour and a half we finally were down the mountain. Ghost was exhausted, sore with cuts and bruises, and had cactus thorns in his mouth and snout. “
Elijah modestly describes the daring rescue, “I just did what had to be done. We couldn’t just leave him up there to die. He’s a sweet dog, and after I brought him down the mountain, he’d follow me everywhere I’d go and would cry the second I’d leave his sight.”
The grateful dog greeted them the next morning with a wagging tail and gentle kisses. The dog was eager to please and well trained. But a larger question loomed. Where would the dog go now? The sweet Shepherd-Husky mix pup was already stealing their hearts.
Heidi explained, “Rescuing the dog was the easy part. Ghost is very attached to my son. It only makes it harder to find him a home.” Heidi and Robin were unsure about taking on another dog. I advised Heidi that any vet clinic will scan a stray dog for a microchip at no cost.
A scanner at the Animal Hospital of Desert Hot Springs revealed a microchip! Soon Heidi was on the phone with the pup’s owner who reported he ran off while getting a bath in their yard. The dog, whose real name is Crush, was retrieved by his grateful family. Heidi, Robin and Elijah left the clinic shedding quiet tears, tears of joy at locating his home, and tears of sadness now that the pup that had transfixed them in a life-saving drama the past four days was gone.
We will never know why the dog ran so far up the granite mountain. He may have been chased by coyotes, and accidently went higher than he could navigate down. Please get your cat or dog microchipped. This simple procedure greatly increases the chances of your missing pet returning home. Thank you to the Simmons family for saving this dog’s life and creating his happy ending!
Jmcafee7@verizon.net
