Heroic Rescuer Helicopters In, Then Runs Nearly Two Miles to Save Dog Family from California Wildfire

A Rotweiler and her four puppies are alive thanks to the heroic efforts of one man helping during the disaster relief in the California Park wildfire. Last Wednesday, the dogs became stranded in the wildfire that is raging across Northern California, having razed more than 380 thousand acres and continues to burn.

“On Wednesday evening, as people were frantically evacuating in a remote area above Cohasset, near Campbellville, a resident’s truck became disabled. Unfortunately, the resident had to leave the truck behind, which included two adult Rottweilers and their puppies,” Butte County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue explained on Facebook.

“The owner provided responders with the location of the truck, but the area was not immediately accessible due to the fire,” they continued. Unfortunately, because of the intense blaze, there was little hope of reaching the dogs in time and hope faded that they had survived.

But Trevor Skaggs, a volunteer member of North Valley Animal Disaster Group, and Helicopter Rescue Technician with Butte County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue, decided to see if the dogs had survived.

“With support from Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea, Trevor was transported to the location and the truck located,” North Valley Animal Disaster Group (NVADG) wrote on their Facebook page. BCSO pilot Conner Smith found a suitable landing site over a mile away and let Trevor out.

Trevor ran 1.5 miles to the location of the abandoned truck and “found the puppies and mother alive, but tired and very thirsty,” Butte County Sheriff shared. “Unfortunately, the puppies’ father was found to have not survived.”

Trevor gave the mother and her puppies water and bites from his protein bar, and then led the relieved dog family back to the helicopter.

NVADG wrote, “Trevor hiked to the truck, released the happy canines, and played pied piper on the way back to the helicopter for the trip to medical care and the emergency animal shelter.”

Trevor was all smiles with the puppies on board.

Once they touched down at Chico Airport the dogs went into the care of members of the North Valley Animal Disaster Group.

“It’s been a horrific few days for our community and we are grateful to be able to share this amazing story,” Butte County Sheriff wrote. And NVADG added, “A great example of interagency support and coordination, and a remarkable rescue.”