Ojai Search and Rescue team helps save injured dog from Los Padres National Forest trail

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. - The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Upper Ojai Search and Rescue Team helped a dog on Friday after she became injured while hiking with her owner on Sespe Creek Trail in the Los Padres National Forest.

Search and Rescue said an 8-year-old Rottweiler named Lusha was on a three-day trip with her owner when she injured her front paw and was unable to continue walking.

Lusha and her owner were about 4.5 miles from the Piedra Blanca Trailhead and were unable to get back without help.

Fortunately, Lusha's owner reached out to a nearby hiking group and used their satellite communication device to contact a friend. This friend was able to report Lusha's injury and the pair's exact location to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.

Six Upper Ojai Search and Rescue team members were dispatched around 9 a.m. to Lusha and her owner.

After the 4.5-mile hike, crews located the two near Bear Creek Campground and used a Litter Trail Wheel, a lightweight stretcher with an all-terrain wheel, to push the 80-pound dog over rough terrain back to the trailhead.

Crews said Lusha sat very patiently on the stretcher for the entire hike.

Ventura County Sheriff Search and Rescue teams are made up entirely of volunteers. These volunteers are highly skilled in alpine search and rescue operations and play an intricate role in all back-country search operations.

The Upper Ojai Search and Rescue Team logs close to 4,000 hours per year on searches, rescues, recoveries and training in the Ventura County's back country.

For more information or to donate to the Upper Ojai Search and Rescue Team, visit www.ojaisar.org.