March 4, 2012

SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "A skier’s best friend"

Aspen Daily News:
"Dogs in Aspen are a ubiquitous site, seen everywhere from the post office to City Hall to the numerous parks around town. And while many owners may even bring their dogs to work to lie silently in the corner of the office, there is an elite group that wake up everyone morning and really go to work. Instead of getting the morning paper, these canines strap on their harnesses, hop on the chairlift and spend the day on the mountain ready to spring into action if there is an avalanche.

There are 11 mountain rescue dogs spread across the four local mountains: three on Aspen Mountain; three on Highlands; four on Snowmass including a part-time Mountain Rescue Aspen dog and a new puppy named Piper; and this season brings the first dog to Buttermilk, Two, aptly named since she was the second born in her litter.

Lori Spence, a member of the Highlands Ski Patrol and leader of the rescue program on that mountain, said all of the dogs within the Aspen Skiing Co.’s program are owned by their handlers. The low staff turnover of patrollers helps to facilitate that approach, and is unique when compared to other resorts where the dogs belong to the companies that own them.

Although local avalanche rescue dogs were formally introduced seven years ago, Brad Benson, the leader of the program on Aspen Mountain, traces the first working canine back to 1983. Chopper worked on Highlands with his owner Chris Kessler, who was killed in a slide on Highland Bowl in 1984..."
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