04/09/2025
NH Paw Rescue - Incident Report
"Shego" - 8/31/2025 to 09/01/2025
At 5:00 pm on Sunday, August 31, 2025, NH Paw Rescue was notified by NH State Police dispatch about a dog (Shego, 110 lbs, 3.5 yo) with owner and 2nd dog (Cooper, 50 lbs, 3 yo) in need of assistance above treeline on the Franconia Ridge Trail. The approximate location was at an elevation of 5000’ and halfway between Mt Lafayette and Mt Lincoln, near a peak known as North Lincoln.
The previous day (Saturday, 8/30/2025), Shego’s group (owner & 2 dogs) had hiked 11 miles from Lincoln Woods to the Garfield Ridge Campsite via the Lincoln Woods, Franconia Brook, and Garfield Ridge trails, on the first day of a “Semi Pemi” route of ~ 23 miles. The owner called 911 on this first day for help getting Shego up the access trail to Garfield Ridge Campsite. When NH Fish & Game followed up on this call, the owner indicated via text that everything was resolved. After spending the night at the campsite, the group continued on the Garfield Ridge Trail towards the Franconia Ridge. At some point before Mt Lafayette, Shego was having more trouble continuing due to an injured paw(s). The group made it to the vicinity of North Lincoln, where Shego stopped moving. It was at this time that Shego’s owner called 911 again, and the call was transferred to NH Paw Rescue. The owner was prepared with backpacking gear and was capable of remaining relatively comfortable until help arrived, but did not have specific dog first aid supplies (bo**ies, etc.) or the means to evacuate a dog of this size.
NH Paw Rescue made a plan to hike to Shego’s location (via the Old Bridle Path, Greenleaf Trail, and Franconia Ridge Trail), protect the injured paw(s) with bo**ies, get the group to Greenleaf Hut, and assess from there. After planning, packing gear, and driving, the first team left the trailhead at ~ 8:30 pm with dog first aid supplies, rescue harnesses, and a rigid litter. The team reached Shego’s group around 12:00 am and provided material/instructions to the owner for paw first aid. With bo**ies on her feet, Shego was able to walk with assistance back over Mt Lafayette and partway down to Greenleaf Hut. This was a very slow process with many breaks initiated by Shego, along with the complication of managing the other dog (Cooper). To give the exhausted Shego a break, the team used the rigid litter on a section of the descent and reached Greenleaf Hut around 4:00 am on Monday, 09/01/2025. The decision was made to complete the remaining descent during daylight hours with one NH Paw Rescue team member taking an emergency rest at the full hut to coordinate, while the other members hiked down to return home or rest in their vehicle.
Once daylight arrived, fresh and returning NH Paw Rescue team members hiked up to Greenleaf Hut to complete the descent down the Old Bridle Path. Shego’s bo**ie protection was changed, the team left the hut at ~ 11:15 am, and she was able to walk with significant assistance past the most difficult sections of trail. Once past these areas, the exhausted Shego was placed in a rigid litter for the remainder of the descent, with everyone reaching the trailhead at ~ 3:30 pm. Shego, Cooper, and their owner were given a ride back to their vehicle at Lincoln Woods with plans to seek veterinary care once home. NH Paw Rescue would like to thank the following for assistance with this incident: team members and associated volunteers, Greenleaf Hut Croo & AMC Huts Dept., NH State Parks, and passing hikers who assisted with litter carrying.
It should be noted that while preparing to depart the Greenleaf Hut area with Shego’s group, the team encountered a separate hiker that had just carried their dog with injured paws down from Lafayette. This party was given dog first aid supplies from the hut’s kit and was subsequently able to hike down with bo**ies on the dog’s paws.
ANALYSIS: Due to various factors, this incident had a total time of 22.5 hours from initial call to Shego arriving back at a trailhead. This rescue took place in difficult terrain, involved risk for responders on and off the mountain, and was strenuous. Fortunately, the weather was stable, but it was cool and windy above treeline, necessitating insulating/weatherproof layers and accessories. If the weather had been less stable or Shego’s party wasn’t prepared with backpacking gear, the situation could have been much worse. Hikers, especially those with dogs, should read this analysis and take precautions to avoid and be prepared for situations like this. There are many takeaways to be learned from this incident:
-When planning a hike with a dog, choose an appropriate route and be conservative. The difficulty and length of this route was too much for Shego.
-When planning a hike, identify bailout points where you can descend if you experience trouble with your dog. Use a bailout route at the first sign of trouble, even if it means dealing with travel logistics, as those logistics are easier to manage than an injured dog high on a mountain. There were three possible bailout points for Shego once she started showing signs of injury.
-Bring dog first aid supplies including bandaging, vet wrap, and paw bo**ies. Most dogs will not like wearing bo**ies, but they can enable a dog to walk out with minor paw pad damage.
-Carefully check paw pads frequently, and address any paw pad damage before it gets worse. Keep in mind that dogs don’t often show early signs of paw distress (as many owners expect) and may only exhibit symptoms when it is severe.
-Bring supplies (dog rescue harness, soft litter) to evacuate your dog if needed.
-If you buy a dog rescue harness, practice with it at home and on local trails so you know how to use it and know you can physically handle evacuating your dog in rough terrain.
-Carefully consider the size and makeup of your human/dog group and whether you have the ability to evacuate your dog(s) in case of injury.
-Use caution hiking in rocky White Mountains terrain, particularly in the Franconia Ridge and Presidential Range areas. These areas have very rough terrain and sharp rocks that can easily damage dog paws. You should strongly consider leaving your dog at home when hiking these areas unless you are confident with your ability to treat and evacuate an injured dog.
-Space at AMC huts during search and rescue incidents is never guaranteed and non-service dogs are not allowed in huts. Shego’s group stayed outside the hut in this emergency situation. Greenleaf Hut is located within a Forest Protection Area, where camping isn’t allowed.
-Keep in mind that dog rescue help in the White Mountains is not available through NH Fish & Game and official SAR teams. If volunteers are available to assist your dog, it may take many hours (or overnight) for help to reach you.
NH Paw Rescue is an informal group of volunteers available to assist with dog rescue incidents in the mountains of NH. NH Paw Rescue is not affiliated with human SAR teams in NH or with NH Fish & Game.
COMMENT POLICY: NH Paw Rescue publishes incident reports to keep the public informed about our work and to educate hikers about best practices when hiking with dogs. You are welcome to ask questions or offer advice about hiking with dogs. Please don’t post comments criticizing or shaming dog owners — they are not helpful and increase our workload monitoring social media.
