Dog Ayla, presumed dead, rescued from mountain distress after eight days

Appenzell. A dog owner from Baden-Württemberg is happy about the rescue of his dog Ayla, who was presumed dead. The animal was found eight days after his crash in the Swiss mountains, according to the cantonal police.

The 61-year-old was walking with the German shepherd on the 2,500-meter high Säntis at the end of June. Ayla slipped on a snow field and fell into the depths before her owner’s eyes.

Using his binoculars, the dog owner saw the dog motionless in the steep terrain below him. Despite a long wait and much shouting and whistling, the man could no longer detect any reaction from Ayla. “Shocked and certain that his dog ‘Ayla’ did not survive the fall,” the 61-year-old went downstairs and headed home, police said.

Female dog unharmed

Last weekend, authorities finally received a tip from hikers that a dog was roaming the impassable terrain in the mountain area. Rescuers went out and rescued the animal. Despite the deep fall and the forced stay of a week in extremely difficult terrain, the dog was unharmed and in very good condition, according to police.

First, as a precaution, a possible master or mistress was searched for in vain. According to the information, the breeding and the owner were identified by the chip number of the dog. The man from the Freiburg area was now overjoyed to cuddle the dog again.

RND/dpa