160-pound Great Pyrenees with raw/cut paws rescued on coastal mountain trail

CANNON BEACH, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A 160-pound Great Pyrenees needed help from rescuers recently when the dog refused to keep walking on a trail at Saddle Mountain due to raw, cut paws, the Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District said

The dog was hiking on Saddle Mountain last Friday "when he suddenly refused to keep walking, the fire district said in a Sunday Facebook post. "The poor baby's paws were raw/cut and needed assistance down."

"Although Saddle Mountain signage and the State Park website states that dogs are allowed but must be on a leash, it is not very dog-friendly," the fire district's post said. "Over the years, we have had several calls for dogs that needed assistance off the mountain due to dehydration or cut/raw paw pads."

In addition, they pointed out, "The trail has copious amounts of welded wire fencing on the ground to provide traction and stability of the trail. Many of these sharp wires are sticking straight up."

They also noted that "walking on wiring and rocks for an extended amount of time can be very rough on your fur baby. Dog booties would be recommended on this trail."

"Just as we humans can build up calluses by incremental exposure to rough surfaces, you can do the same with your dog if you plan on frequent hikes or know they’ll be walking on rougher surfaces throughout their life," they advised. "Start with shorter periods of time on these surfaces to let the pad build up toughness over time."

The fire district thanked the Hamlet, Gearhart and Seaside fire agencies for their assistance in the rescue effort.