BAR HARBOR, Maine — The proverbial dog days of summer arrived at Acadia National Park this weekend.
Just ask Oolum, a 100-pound-plus, long-haired Newfoundland who had to be rescued Saturday afternoon from 90-degree heat while hiking with his Canadian owners on the north ridge of Dorr Mountain.
A team of 10 rescuers carried the overheated canine down the mountain and got him to a veterinary clinic in Bar Harbor.
“By the time we got him there, his body temperature was 106 degrees, and he was still panting,” said Ranger Ed Pontbriand, who help to rescue the heat-stroked dog. “The owners said the dog just stopped in the middle of the trail and couldn’t move. They tried to give him water, but it just wasn’t enough.”
Pontbriand said the “Newfie” wasn’t the only one feeling the effects of Saturday afternoon’s blast of heat.
“We almost had heat stroke ourselves, heading up that mountain to bring him down,” he said of the team of rescuers.
Oolum’s owners were not cited by park law enforcement for animal neglect, according to Pontbriand.
A WET DOG IS A HAPPY DOG…..esp. a long haired one like a Newfie!
Our Goldie would crawl under a bush and dig a dirt pit to lay in….only his snout would stick out. If the dirt dried out, he’d dig another one. …and you only get to see this survival behavior in dogs when you take them off leash! We’re sweating outside the tent in the sun and he’s under the bush, away from the flies, in this wet pit, sleeping…..damn that dog!
I have a ten year old newfoundland and love him dearly. He looks forward to his long walks and will go with you regardless of how hot it is. They cannot tolerate high heat combined with a high dew point. It will kill them. They are a precious breed of dog, so please be careful with these babies when you walk on a warm day. Put your winter coat on then start walking. If it’s to warm for you, it’s to warm for him! Thanks.
Horrendous judgment on the part of the owners. I hope the dog is ok.
Hey, let’s take our dog with a double coat on a hike in 90 weather. Idiots.
Exactly. Common sense is in short supply
Watch them not pay the rescue bill.
My little dog was suffering with the heat so I clipped him.. He looks a little odd, but is much more comfortable. Longish haired Pekingese cross
So you took away your dog’s natural defense/insulation? Bravo.
Den she/he did the right thing for the dog, there is absolutely nothing wrong with clipping your dogs coat especially in the summer, it helps them to stay cooler.
Actually, it depends on the dog. Some dogs need that insulation for staying cooler. Some dogs, once you have shaved them, you have to worry about exposure to the sun, sunburns, etc. But any vet I have ever spoken with has NOT recommended shaving dogs in the summer because that is their natural insulation to stay cool and shaving them removes that.
I’m not talking shaving them down to their skin of course not, but many dogs, especially ones with a long thick coat, are much cooler in the summertime if groomed/trimmed properly.
I didn’t shave him, I clipped him. He still has enough hair to protect him from sun and bugs, but he does not overheat .
I do not have air conditioning, and he was uncomfortable. I sure would not want to be wearing a 3 inch fur coat in the weather we have had.
Its temporary, it will grow back
These people should know better.
Even though the owners of the dog were idiots to take him hiking on such a hot day, it’s pretty cool that the rangers helped out. Kudos to them!
usually it is cooler down on the island by the ocean
You are as smart as the owners.
Not yesterday. It was awful.
Open mouth. Insert foot.
Well guess what it wasn’t that day and they should be charged for the rescue!
Good job Rangers prayers going out to the dog!
the dewpoints have been abnormally high of late. this is what they have down south
Yes, a long haired black dog in August hiking…. Need I say any more??? Here is your sign!!!
Mountain climbing or hiking is not a good activity for a dog, particularly in the summer and never above treeline. Take the dog for a walk in the woods and select trails with a lot of water. It’s better for the dog and better for you.
Glad the hear the dog is OK. Hope they learned their lesson.
Remember Forrest Gump? You can’t fix s—-d.
Actually, hiking is an excellent activity for most breeds of dogs. You must be prepared for the conditions and bring adequate supplies. As for above treeline, in Acadia that is not very high and the rocks are smooth for the most part. I have taken many of my dogs to Mount Washington in NH and seen many more there which is a more challenging terrain. Just be prepared and know you and your dogs limits.
“Oolum’s owners were not cited by park law enforcement for animal neglect, according to Pontbriand.”
___________________________________
I wonder why not? It certainly should rise to that.
It wasn’t neglect. Cruelty on the other hand….
Also, it’s too bad you can’t charge people with gross stupidity
They had to take the Dog to Emergency Clinic (Sunday) for a blood transfusion…. They paid dearly! (Close to $1000 just for that, not to mention the exam and diagnostic fees). But I agree that they should pay a fine as well.
They should pay for the cost of the rescue as well
There are much better places to bring your dog in this heat. There’s a great trail along Jordan Stream in Southwest Harbor on Rockerfeller land that is beautiful, and dogs are allowed off leash. It’s almost all shady and is along the stream.
As the owner of two St. Bernards, this definitely rises to the level of neglect, not to mention shear stupidity! The owners may not have been cited (BIG MISTAKE), but they sure should be billed for the rescue!!! I hope their Vet med bill was astronomical!
I agree that the owners should have been cited. The rescuers missed an opportunity to drive home an important message about animal neglect.
The headline says the dog had a heat stroke, the cutline says “heat exhaustion.” The reporter says a ranger called it “heat stroke.” The two illnesses are not the same, according to WebMD.
So, editors, which was it: heat stroke or heat exhaustion?
That said, shame on the dog’s owners. There was no excuse for them to have taken their dog out in those conditions.
You don’t think they had all bases covered ? Do you think they clean out the whole park of rangers and rescue folks each time there is one problem ? You really need to relax a bit. I’m pretty positive no humans were ever neglected and would never be neglected.
“I’m pretty positive” from anyone doesn’t mean much to me.
If you really want to believe that every rescuer in the park was with that dog go ahead. Something tells me that even if you knew there were other people available you would still find a problem.
apparently you can’t fix yourself….
it’s obvious that the word, “positive,” would not mean anything to you
WOW !
The Bangor Barely News sure scooped everyone on this one.
These people are NOT responsible dog owners. Who in their right mind would take a Newfie hiking in this weather? I am glad the dog recovered and I pray the owners learned a lesson.
Pet ignorance really irritates me.
If you leave your pet in a car during hot weather without so much as a window open or a water bowl, I will call the authorities. Every time.
Dogs don’t sweat, they have to pant.
Taking a dog like a Newfoundland ‘hiking’ in 90 degree weather, any place, is cruel. They are lucky he didn’t die like the beloved bull dog mascot did in Louisianna this weekend.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
To be fair it was barely 80 today but sticky, with a pretty steady sea breeze. It was mostly overcast but when the sun came through a few times it warmed up quickly. Such a steep, exposed hike on a hot muggy day with a large fluffy dog–certainly not the best judgement, but I wouldn’t quite lump these people in with Michael Vick. Thankfully they were able to get help. I’m sure they feel terrible. And the rescue workers are all smiles.
These two incidents happened a week apart. Totally different situations. How can you possibly equate the responses? Read the articles more carefully…
10 federal employees to rescue one dog? I can see why our federal budget is in such a mess.
If you knew how many people it takes to carry out a human of 150-200 pounds you would understand why they would send the same number of rangers to carry out 143–176 pound (average adult male) Newfie.
They are probably on duty anyway.
I feel bad for the dog, the owners are obviously not very smart or considerate…. I have a 6 year old Newfoundland Dog, they are great dogs, but not really good with extreme heat. It is nuts that it took 10 people to rescue the dog! I wonder what that cost the taxpayers for someone elses ignorance??? I note that this rescue, for a dog, took a lot less time than the rescue of the hiker last week who died because it took 6 hours……
This is cruel. Dogs are dependent on us. They are gentle souls who worship the ground on which we walk! I know many PEOPLE who wouldn’t hike on a 90-degree day; don’t force this experience on a poor dog!!! :-(
With the humidity and heat of yesterday, a dog of any breed could not cool itself but most dog owners do not understand that. Mine are in excellent shape but on a trail on a day like yesterday they begin to demonstrate the effects of heat, humidity and lack of cooling ability.
“Hey let’s bring our long haired dog on a nice hike up the mountain today in this heat and humidity eh?”
“Golly gee what a great idea!”
At the least they should have been cited for ignorance, fined for tying up the rangers time on this.
Oh wait, tourists…nevermind, especially Canadian, one day LePage might sell us off to them
They should have taken him swimming instead of hiking, the poor baby.
Then they would already be in the field, geared up and most likely on site to assist your hypothetical simultaneously injured person much more quickly than if they were at their jobs or shopping in Bangor. You do know that we are living in a society, don’t you?
Should not have happened, but the story has a wonderful ending…. much thanks to the rescuers!!!! You guys rock.
If society is messed up, it has much to do with judgmental, heartless people such as yourself. The owners definitely made a bad decision, but it wasn’t made with the intention to harm their dog… KUDOS to the wonderful rescue people who helped out in this situation…. their smiles say it all, love the pic!
and not a single ____ was given that day…bangor barely news
$500 min. fine to the owner of the dog for not providing water to the dog…the dog should be “remanded to state custody” and the owner barred from owning another dog again
The article stated the owners did try giving the dog water, it just wasn’t enough.
Yeah the owners made a mistake taking a Newfie hiking on such a hot day, should they have their dog taken away and be banned from owning dogs again in the future? NO
my friend is facing a $500 fine for letting a cat out on the side of the road in a wooded secluded area; these people deliberately took a 100 pound LONG HAIRED BLACK dog up a mountain…what were they thinking? I’d throw the book at them.
Justice in this state…just like 120 days for a pedophile – these people should get 1 year in prison and face $2,500 fine as well as costs for emergency services.
Why was someone letting a cat out on the side of the road???? That makes me sick! They should be fined, and I hope they never, ever own another animal.
your friend should also be let out on the side of the road in a wooded secluded area.
Glad they caught him. People should take responsibility for their animals not just dump them on the side of the road whether it’s wooded or not.
Are you saying your friend was abandoning a domestic cat on the side of the road in a wooded secluded area? What kind of monster is he? Don’t you have an animal shelter in your area?
Coming from someone who keeps having to take care of abandoned cats until animal control can find a home for them, because these abandoned cats keep ending up on my doorstep, I hope your ‘friend’ comes down w/ a serious case of gout. Or herpes. Either way…
These boys must have been doing some work by the looks of them, good job…..
With that remark, you can count yourself in as a key player in our messed up society.
The owners weren’t able to deal with the problem. Had the dog died, and many have in ANP, the Rangers would still have had to carry it out. Thankfully, they got a live dog off the trail and to the veterinarian for treatment. You are obviously not well informed as to how the system in ANP works.
So, I guess that the ANP Rangers are duty bound to carry off dead domestic pets if they die in the park? Even if the owners are negligent? Where is this in the “Rules”? (please quote your source of information so I can look it up?) I guess I will take my old dog walking in the park instead of behind my house….Just Sayin….
I think it is wrong that they didn’t cite the owners for this. I’m sorry, but this is neglet. Anyone would have sense enough to not take their dog (regardless of breed) out hiking on such a hot/humid day.
I Agree. There are so many people who are ignorant of the difference between the way a human breathes and a dog breathes.
It was miserable. I was feeding a neighbor’s horses over the weekend and one of them broke out in severe hives due to the heat. I had to make an emergency run to the vet clinic to get medication because even hosing him down didn’t help. Thankfully, he was better by yesterday morning after the meds and spending the night in his stall.
these people should have to pay for the time it took those rangers to save that dog. mainers should not foot the bill
I am still trying to figure out why this is newsworthy— Canadian owners do something not real smart. Ranger do their job. I am happy the dog is ok, but really.
Maybe it will make people aware of the dangers of heat and humidity for themselves and their pets.
I count 10 Rangers in that picture, as well a sa tax vehicle payed for in tax dollars. These idiots NEED to pay the bill. The bill can even be called “billed for being very stupid”, or “cruelty to animals….moroon’s….
Send the STUPIDITY BILL to the Canadian Government. Maybe the dog is covered under their Canadian Medical Insurance Plan??? Ha Ha Ha…….
Newfie’s are particularly susceptible to heat issues.Charge these fools every penny it cost.
A Newfie? Hiking??yesterday??? Common sense has melted away I guess..
I wish stupidity was a fine-able offense.
We live on MDI with our 130 lb Newfie. Hiking isn’t really her favorite activity, but she’ll humor us with short, low hikes — in the fall, winter and spring. Never summer. Instead, we went swimming on Saturday – and I guarantee she was a happier dog than this poor guy! Hopefully where they live in Canada is cooler than here!
Charge the owners for the rescue!
People are supposed to know more than the animal.
So, they rescued an ailing dog and took time out to pose a group photo before taking him to the vet? really? or was the photo a reenactment?