ENUMCLAW, Wash. — Pepper the dog was pulled to safety after falling down a steep hillside near Mud Mountain Dam in Enumclaw last week, thanks to volunteer rescuers.
The Washington State Animal Response Team (WASART), an all-volunteer nonprofit organization, received the rescue call late last Thursday afternoon.
A Technical Rescue Team and equipment truck arrived at the trailhead, grabbed their rescue gear, and hiked about 20 minutes to Pepper’s location.
She was found approximately 60 feet down a steep, loose hillside with a vertical drop below her.
A WASART rescuer was lowered by rope down the slope, carefully navigating unstable terrain and clearing branches along the way, all while talking to Pepper to help keep her calm.
Once the rescuer reached Pepper, WASART says she crawled over and climbed right into the rescuer’s lap.
Pepper was secured in a lift harness and attached to the rope system with the rescuer. Despite blending in with the darkness, WASART says Pepper was a great sport the entire time, calmly trusting the team to get her safely to the top.
Pepper was happily reunited with her family—with plenty of tail wags.
The WASART team packed up their gear and hiked out together with Pepper and her family.
“Rescues like this are why we do what we do. It’s why we train, why we deploy, and why we dedicate so many hours preparing for these calls. Helping animals and their owners in times of emergency is at the heart of WASART’s mission,” wrote WASART.