One afternoon last week, crews from San Bernardino County Rescue Task Force 6 were staging at their shoring trailers in Lake Arrowhead Village when Capt. Joe De La Torre of the San Manuel Fire Department was notified by citizens of two large dogs stuck on a second-story roof in the village. The citizens reported the dogs had been stuck on the roof for a few days and no one had been able to reach them.
Both dogs were standing in deep snow and appeared to be unharmed. De La Torre contacted maintenance workers who gave him access to a second-story window, where he was able to talk to the dogs. De La Torre slowly built trust with the dogs and guided them off the roof with food through an office window. Both were deemed unharmed and were guided back down to the parking lot. Neither of the dogs had collars.
Unfortunately, once outside the building, both dogs escaped and rescue personnel were unable to safely catch them. Over the next few days, both dogs were spotted together throughout the community and their location was reported to the owner. Due to the vigilance and efforts of fellow citizens, both dogs were eventually returned to their owner and are back home out of the elements.
This was a great example of the community working together for a positive outcome.
