Hartbeespoort colonel climbs mountain to save dog

The station commander of the Hartbeespoort police hiked almost a kilometre up the Magaliesberg mountain to save a dog that was caught in a snare two days before.

On Friday, the Hartbeespoort police were alerted to a dog that had been barking for some time in the mountain behind the Hartbeespoort High School. Colonel Eric Brand, the acting station commander decided to go search for the dog himself, the Kormorant reports.

“We were told by the school that the dog had been heard for some time and I decided to go search for it just after 16:00. I heard the barks and cries and followed the sound about a kilometre up into the mountain where I found the Weimaraner. She had been caught in a snare and it was tightly wound around her neck. She was terrified and it took some time to get the snare loose,” said Brand, a known animal-lover.

After freeing the dog, he tried to use the snare as a leash to guide her down, but she would just cower on the ground.

“The only thing to do was to carry her down the mountain. She was severely traumatised. Luckily I had water with me and she drank a whole bottle. A community member met me on the way down and helped carry the frightened animal.”

Back at the police station, Brand asked police personnel to see if they could find the owner, and through information on WhatsApp groups, the dog was reunited with her owner shortly after.

“According to the owner, the dog went missing two days before. I am just happy we found her in time.”

This article first appeared on the Kormorant and was republished with permission