Rescue teams band together to save injured dog 2.7 miles into new Mailbox Peak trail

KING COUNTY - A dog that was injured and stuck in the woods was safely rescued by the Washington State Animal Response Team (WASART) on Sunday.

On July 23, WASART received a call that an American Bulldog-Cane Corso mix named ‘Kahu’ was on the new Mailbox Peak Trail and could not make it back to the trail's starting point.

The original Mailbox Peak Trail is a 4,000-foot incline that spans a little less than three miles. The new trail has easier terrain, but takes twice as much distance to reach the summit. 

Kahu was about 2.7 miles away from the trailhead, and was found with a torn paw pad. 

Members of the King County Search and Rescue's Rapid Alpine Deployment team and King County's Explorer Search and Rescue team helped in the rescue mission. After finding Kahu injured and fatigued, realizing he needed to be carried, a third team hiked the trail with a litter - which is a portable device similar to a stretcher. 

Members from all rescue teams took turns carrying Kahu in the litter down the 2.7-mile trek. Even though Kahu is a smaller dog, carrying him for that far of a distance in rugged terrain was a major challenge for the group.

Once the team made it to the trailhead, Kahu was returned to his owner, who then brought him to the emergency vet for treatment.

WASART says they are thankful to work alongside these search and rescue teams.

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