Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Harrowing holiday for canine

Girls rescue golden retriever trapped for 7 days

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By JON DUVAL
Express Staff Writer

Ranger, a 13-year-old golden retriever, was rescued after going missing for eight days beginning New Year’s Eve. Ranger, who spent the time trapped between two fences, was found by young Hailey residents Annika Landis and Amanda Passey. Photo courtesy John Rathfon.

The old adage "look before you leap" might be tough to teach a dog, but one golden retriever learned that lesson the hard way after spending a week trapped between two fences in Hailey.

Ranger, a 13-year-old golden retriever belonging to John Rathfon, a member of the Ketchum Fire Department and the Sun Valley Ski Patrol, disappeared on New Year's Eve, not to be heard from again until a pair of middle school students found him a week later.

Annika Landis and Amanda Passey, playing in the Landis' backyard on South Hiawatha Drive, about two blocks from Rathfon's house on Buttercup Road, heard barking coming from behind a storage shed on Jan. 7.

Though he was unfortunately unable to provide details about how he became ensnared in such a predicament, Ranger had likely hopped over the 6-foot wooden fence in the Landis' backyard, not knowing that it was backed by a shorter chain link fence.

According to Rathfon, the two fences sit about 8 inches away from each other, making it impossible for his dog to get out from the narrow confines.

"It was kind of like a cattle chute," a relieved Rathfon said on Monday. "There was no way he could move or turn around."

Despite being without food for eight days, remarkably, the only injury Ranger suffered was a cut on his lip, possibly sustained while falling between the two fences, Rathfon surmised.

The two girls informed Annika's older sister, Kaitlyn, who checked Ranger's tag and got in touch with Rathfon, who pulled his dog from the tight confines.

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On Monday, Rathfon said he was still trying to come up with an appropriate way to thank the girls for saving his dog.

"I had to explain to my daughter that you can cry when you're happy," Rathfon said in the wake of the incident.

Jon Duval: jduval@mtexpress.com