Louie is back home and he鈥檚 on the mend.

Amanda McGregor鈥檚 chocolate lab is recovering from a mountain adventure last week that brought together dozens of people in the local hiking community.

After being injured about nine-kilometres up a remote hike in the Chilliwack River Valley, led to a group heading up to rescue the five-year-old dog.

ORIGINAL STORY:

It began when McGregor鈥檚 stepdaughter Janessa took Louie for an overnight trek to Radium Lake, a nine-kilometre hike starting from a trailhead near Chilliwack Lake.

The dog got injured and Janessa was unable to carry the 90-pound dog out so she spent a second night up there.

Search-and-rescue couldn鈥檛 help since no humans were threatened.

So Amanda and her husband John decided to try to hike in and help carry the dog out, but they couldn鈥檛 make it.

Then Amanda joined the on Facebook, put out a plea and the response was overwhelming.

A core group eventually formed, Iain Harvey, Toby Hyde, Cody Hamilton, Isaak Hazelton, Matt Horin and Charlene Howard.

They got in there with a donated stretcher and carried Louie out.

鈥淭hey are 91原创enal,鈥� Amanda said of the group that went up to rescue Louie. 鈥淭hat whole Chilliwack Hiking Club, they are amazing people.鈥�

Amanda and John then got Louie to the Animal Emergency Clinic of the Fraser Valley in 91原创. The dog was seriously injured and had to spend four nights at the clinic. The first night at the clinic cost $2,000 and the second night $1,500 more. Amanda said the stay Friday night was another $1,500 and then he spent one more night on Saturday.

鈥淗onestly I don鈥檛 want to give up on my dog,鈥� she said on Friday.

But on Sunday they were able to take Louie home to begin his recovery.

Another of the rescuers, Cody Hamilton, helped Amanda out by setting up a GoFundMe page called 鈥溾�� By Friday at 2:45 the page had raised $545 of a $4,000 goal, and by Monday it has surpassed the goal.

Amanda said the dollar figure wasn鈥檛 enough to cover all the bills, but with people giving so much she certainly couldn鈥檛 ask for more now.

鈥淗e is home,鈥� she said Monday. 鈥淗e has a long way to go but we will get him there.鈥�

In the end, Amanda is emotional and so thankful to the local hiking community the way they came together for the rescue.

鈥淚n this day and age, to know that humans are out there that do this. This is such a positive story about people.鈥�

paul.henderson@theprogress.com
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