Story by Heidi Dahms Foster. Photos courtesy YCSO K9 Search and Rescue Unit.
On Friday, May 13, Prescott Valley resident Donald Hayes, 74, set out for a hike on the Wood Chute Trail on Mingus Mountain with his dog Ranger. That afternoon, he called his wife to tell her he and Ranger were lost.
A Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office news release stated that forest patrol was able to speak to Mr. Hayes the same day around 2 p.m. He told them he did not want to wait for rescue, and that he was continuing down a ravine, thinking he was moving northwest and saw Williamson Valley. He told Sheriff’s personnel he still had food and water, and would turn off his cell phone to save the battery.
That was the last contact either YCSO or Hayes’ wife had with him, and it set off a six-day search that sadly, ended in Mr. Hayes being found deceased on the mountain. But the one heart-warming spot amidst the tragedy was the story of Ranger.
YCSO Backcountry Search and Rescue (SAR), Verde SAR, search dogs, the Sheriff’s Volunteer OHV Unit, 4×4 Unit and Jeep Posse personnel along with a DPS Ranger helicopter searched the area for several days without success. SAR teams also conducted a thermal drone flight to attempt to locate Mr. Hayes in the early morning hours on Saturday, and DPS conducted a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) search from the air early Sunday morning, the YCSO release stated. Neither produced any results.
Finally, on Wednesday, May 18, Mr. Hayes was located in a rugged, remote area that was difficult for searchers to reach. When they found Mr. Hayes, they also found that Ranger had faithfully remained by his side.
YCSO K9 Unit Training Coordinator Heather Lum and team member and veterinary tech Ann Schmidt had been part of the search efforts that day. They had returned to the command post and were preparing to leave when they received word that Mr. Hayes had sadly been found deceased, and Ranger had been found alive but was in rough shape, dehydrated and suffering from the heat. The dog could not get up, and appeared very weak.
Rescuers brought Ranger to the command post, and Heather and Ann went into action.
“We always carry a ‘Fido bag’ with us for K9 emergencies. We are trained in K9 first aid, and fortunately we had a vet tech on our team on the search (Ann),” Heather said. “YCSO at the scene was notified that we were able to render aid to Ranger. So we stayed and got a triage area ready for him. The helicopter brought Ranger to the command post and our team was able to help give him fluids, oxygen and place a wet blanket on him to cool him down. It was hot out there that week, in the 80s or more.”
Recognizing that the dog needed immediate care, Ann received permission to transport Ranger in her van to the Yavapai Emergency Animal Hospital in Prescott Valley. He was handed off to the staff, and Mrs. Hayes was contacted that he was there.
While Ranger was recovering at the hospital, the K9 team checked on him daily to see how he was doing. He is reportedly now home and recovering.
Heather said Ranger’s faithfulness to stay by his owner even to his own detriment was “extraordinary, but pretty classic. Dogs are loyal, they’ll stay with us. He did what we think a dog that loves its owner would do.”
YCSO Search and Rescue K9 Unit and Verde Search and Rescue sponsored a fundraiser to help with Ranger’s medical expenses. It was beyond successful, raising several thousand dollars in just a couple of days. A thankful Mrs. Hayes donated money above the medical expenses back to the search and rescue teams.
Heather, Ann and the rest of the Search and Rescue K9 team also were grateful for Ranger’s outcome.
“We were just thankful that we stayed there (at the command post) when Ranger was located, and that we had the skills to help him. We do a pet first aid and CPR class every year, and we’re glad to have the skills to help in that small way,” Heather said.
“Our searchers utilized every tool at their disposal to find Mr. Hayes and never gave up,” said Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes. “Our condolences go out to Mr. Hayes’ family, and we wish the outcome could have been different.”
The YCSO Search and Rescue teams know that hikers can become lost, and urge them to always be prepared for both for themselves and their animal.
“Always take more food and water than you need, wear proper footwear and be prepared for the temperatures. Let people know where you’re going and when you expect to return. Stay put. If you wander, you can get injured or be harder to find,” Heather said.
The YCSO Search and Rescue K9 Team is happy to take on new members, with the caveat that service with this team is volunteer, but not easy. The team trains twice weekly, with a commitment of 40-60 hours each month.
“We’re non-paid professionals,” Heather said. “Our job is to find the lost person.”
She added that the team is an auxiliary of the YCSO Search and Rescue Team as a whole, which has several different units. “(The search for Donald Hayes) was a team effort. Even though the search dog unit helped with Ranger, which we were glad to do, there were countless searchers out for six days. We all work as a team to find missing persons alive, or to bring closure to their loved ones.”
For more information, to donate or to inquire about membership on the YCSO K9 Search and Rescue team, visit YCSRT.org. Stay tuned and save the date for May 6, 2023, when the YCSRT will host at golf tourney at StoneRidge in Prescott Valley. They’ll be looking for golfers and sponsors.
