A dog that fell down steep slope on Cypress is reunited with its owner: NSR

North Shore Rescue (NSR) has found the missing dog that fell down a steep slope on Cypress.

NSR had search teams on the lookout for Freeway, a dog who got away from his owner and fell down a steep slope at Mount Strachan on Monday, April 22.

Despite a rope rescue and drone teams, crews were not able to find the dog on Monday.

“Unfortunately, after extensive searching, the dog was not located,” NSR said in a social media post on Facebook.

Earlier Tuesday afternoon, NSR search teams and Cypress staff spotted Freeway alive.

The dog was uninjured.

“At least not seriously,” said NSR, in an updated social media post.

“Unfortunately, the dog is very scared and is running away, not approaching anyone.”

Crews tracked the dog off Cypress ski hill, through a parking lot, and continued south of the ski hill area.

At 3 p.m. they located Freeway near a washroom located on the West Cypress Creek Trail — the dog was still heading south at that time.

NSR says, search crews and the dog’s owner were in a “hot pursuit” but Freeway was too fast.

Just after 8:32 p.m. Tuesday evening, NSR posted an updated social media post stating Freeway was “found/grabbed and is back home with his humans.”

“Big thanks to everyone who shared our posts, kept an eye out and donated to help offset the cost of this search,” it said.

In an update Wednesday morning, Adam Bale, Freeway’s owner shared that she’s received a clean bill of health from a Vancouver vet.

“Freeway is exhausted and shaken, but she is alive, recovering, and home,” Bale said in a statement to CityNews. “That is thanks to so many people, skilled and selfless, best friends through to complete strangers, to whom we are forever indebted.”

Bale says if it weren’t for the skill of North Shore Rescue volunteers, two young “backcountry enthusiasts” Liam and Will, and a huge community of friends, colleagues, and Cypress Mountain crew, it may have been a very different story.

“Community sometimes can seem invisible until it is tested. We know now how real and how strong community is, how strong and how good each person within it is, and we are forever grateful for it,” Bale said.