Dog rescued by firefighters reunited with family

The dog rescued by the Camas-Washougal Fire Department on Thursday was reunited with her family Friday morning.

April Nicholas, dog shelter manager at the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society, said the family picked up their dog Friday after reading about the rescue and seeing the dog’s photo in The Columbian. Nicholas also said the family, who couldn’t be reached Friday, heard from friends and neighbors that their dog was rescued after reading the paper.

The dog was brought to the Humane Society after the fire department performed a two-hour rescue at the intersection of Northwest Ostenson Canyon Road and Northwest 18th Loop in Camas.

The department was alerted to the intersection by a neighbor who said there was a barking dog down there. Larry Larimer, battalion chief, said he and four of his officers arrived at the intersection a little after 9 a.m. to check for the dog, but didn’t hear anything. They checked the area for about 15 minutes, whistling and calling out for the dog without response. Right before they were set to leave, the dog barked, and the crew set off to save her.

Two firefighters — James Tierney and Dane Hammond – made their way into the canyon where the bark came from. The canyon was a series of 90-degree drops and shelves, according to Tierney. The found the dog, who was estimated to be a 5-year-old German Shepherd by Camas Police Sgt. Brie Bieber — on a shelf about 10 feet from the bottom of the canyon.

The firefighters used webbing and rope to build a harness, and escorted the dog up the canyon. She was about 60 feet from the top of Ostenson Canyon Road, where Larimer, Capt. Michael Brown, Victor Compher and Camas-Washougal Animal Control Officer Rick Foster constructed a three-to-one pulley to lift the two officers and dog to safety.

The dog didn’t appear to have any injuries.

Debbie Ausherman, who lives in a house looking out over the canyon, said she first heard the dog barking Wednesday morning. Larimer thought she might’ve run away sometime during the Fourth of July during the frenzy of fireworks.

Nicholas said the family told her the dog had been missing since Sunday.