SAVED: Damaged, but healthy. Teddy soon after he was found, under very demanding conditions. Photo: Jan-Erik Johnsen
The New Year’s fireworks sent Teddy fleeing in panic in the mountain home. A highly trained dog muzzle may have saved his life.
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- The four-month-old puppy Teddy ran after a New Year’s firework was set off near him and owner Øyvind Brøgger (42).
- A large-scale mobilization was launched, with volunteers and search dogs.
- After a 47-hour search, Teddy was found in good condition.
Sea view
On New Year’s Eve, Øyvind Brøgger (42) was with his family at the cabin in Norefjell.
The family’s newest addition, Teddy (4 months), was to experience the evening for the first time.
Matfar Brøgger saw that the dog became restless when the first fireworks were set off at 6 p.m., he says.
– I thought it was best that we finished the pee trip before the worst broke out, but I made sure to keep the leash tight, says Brøgger.
They stopped a couple of hundred meters above the cabin.
– Then a rocket hits just above our heads. He reacted violently and shot off in pure panic.
TWO GOOD FRIENDS: Owner Øyvind Brøgger and the golden retriever Teddy. Photo: Øyvind Brøgger
The dog jerked so hard that Brøgger lost his grip on the leash.
He followed, but lost sight of the puppy. It was dark and the dense drift of snow was blowing sideways and blocking the light from the headlamp, he says.
– After a short time he had disappeared without a trace. At the same time, more and more rockets were launched.
It would be 47 hours before they saw each other again, according to the owner.
– Worst nightmare
Immediately after Teddy’s disappearance, the device was set in motion. Family, friends and more from the cabin field participated in the search that same night, says Brøgger.
After midnight, Matfather made contact with a snowmobile driver who drove past.
He says they drove around for hours in the dark winter night with no luck.
– It is the worst nightmare you can imagine as a dog owner. He is alone, there is a bang and he is terrified, he says.
THE AREA: Norefjell is a beautiful winter resort, but a demanding area to search in. Photo: Halvard Alvik / NTB
The owner says that at this time he felt both guilt, but also an inveterate focus on the work tasks he had to complete.
At the same time, he pondered the unpleasant question: How long can the dog last under such conditions?
On Norefjell, it was around five degrees below zero on 1 January, with -6.5 at its coldest. At the same time, the snow was half a meter deep, according to the report Yr.
The search continued through the night. Early the next day, reinforcements arrived.
Via the Facebook group “Rømlingen”, the family got tips on which resources they could contact.
Now they flocked one by one: Volunteer search crews and search dogs from the three organizations SeekDog Operative Spesialsøkhunder, Nitrogruppa, and Potespor.
Also read: Fireworks scared the dog out of his senses and concentration
Dog handlers gave hope
A large-scale search operation had to be coordinated, and that job was given to Brøgger’s father, Jan-Erik Johnsen (71).
– We received a lot of calls from people who wanted to contribute. I took the job of coordinating everyone who signed up, so that the others could use their time to search, says Johnsen.
He says that they mapped out a large search area, and began searching at the most likely sites first, in cabin fields and along ski tracks.
In conversation with the experienced dog handlers, Brøgger learned something that gave him new courage.
– They said that a dog like Teddy can last longer than you think under such conditions. The window you have is ten days and maybe longer, he says.
OXYGEN TO: Annette Kjellstedt with her dog Alma. They have both undergone a number of courses and training to obtain certification as dog searchers. Photo: Private
Alma on track
One of those who made contact was dog handler Annette Kjellstedt (49).
Her three-year-old hunting golden retriever Alma is a certified search dog, and was to play a central role in the rescue mission.
But on New Year’s morning they were at Raje outside Kongsberg, approximately two hours’ drive from Norefjell, with no means of transport available.
They made their way anyway by taxi.
– When we arrived, we immediately sat down and looked at the map together with the owners, says Kjellstedt.
They resumed the night’s search in the cabin area, she says.
– Alma didn’t really show much interest there. But she was very clear that he had run straight ahead, up the ski track.
The problem was the weather. They did not make it up the terrain on their own.
– We waded in snow up to our thighs. It was absolutely impossible to get further inside.
After two rounds of searching, they finished for the day. But Alma’s mother was sure that the dog had gotten a kick out of the missing heartthrob.
– The wind blew strongly from the north. In addition, there was a rise in the terrain, which means that the smell carries far down into the valley. That evening I was aware that the next day we would have to try further up the terrain, says Kjellstedt.
Sign of life
Then it was the second New Year’s Day and almost two days since Teddy fled in panic.
When the rescue team was about to start a new search, they have become even more numerous. Now they received assistance from several scooter drivers from Norefjell turforening.
Annette Kjellstedt and Alma were driven up into the terrain.
She says that the dog’s marking became clearer the further up the terrain they got.
– When we got no further, she sat down and didn’t want to go left or right.
– Then the matron shouted at Teddy, and then we heard beeping.
But the strong wind made it difficult to locate where the sound was coming from. They called in more crews and intensified the search in the area.
Jan-Erik Johnsen joined the search team in the area in the afternoon. It suffered towards evening and the wind picked up, he says.
– Later we stood and had a consultation. It was dark and gloomy, and we were just looking at random.
– Then we heard a bark, says Johnsen.
After walking about 200 meters on snowshoes with snow up to their crotch, they caught a glimpse of a reflex from a dog harness.
Dazed sausage fan
Down by a riverbed under a tree sat a dazed, furry creature. This was between two and three kilometers from the stabbing site, Johnsen believes.
– He was surprisingly healthy and fast, but a little scared when we arrived – probably because of the headlights. It’s really quite incredible, he says.
– One of the volunteers threw some pieces of sausage at him and got hold of the harness. Then he was beyond happy and trusting, and licked her face. He was shaking yes, but I’m not sure if it was because he was freezing or nervous.
WARM HUGS: The search party warms Teddy with a blanket on the trailer that will transport him back to the cabin. Photo: Jan-Erik Johnsen
Matfar Brøgger had been notified of the find, and was standing by the cabin waiting when Father Johnsen came driving with Teddy on his arm.
– It was a joy to see each other that cannot be described. I was extremely relieved that he was safe – he was in incredibly good shape, all things considered, says Brøgger.
Despite the fact that there were many people in the cabin, it did not take long for Teddy to warm up again.
– He ran around, greeted and licked everyone. He appeared as if he had only been on a light evening walk.
IN SAFETY: “Teddy” (th) with his new acquaintance Alma at the cabin in Norefjell on the night of the rescue. Alma is also a golden retriever, but of so-called hunting lineage. Photo: Annette Kjellstedt
Digging when he wakes up
Brøgger talks to VG a couple of days after the discovery. After they drove home from the cabin, he saw that Teddy had been somewhat affected.
– He has slept a lot and is clearly tired. When he wakes up, he starts digging. He has a little extra need for closeness and security, but otherwise he is himself again.
In recent days, the owner has thought a lot about the volunteers who came forward, he says.
– The good cooperation between the three search dogs, the scooter drivers and all the volunteers is the reason why Teddy returned home safely. I have no words for how grateful I am.
Watch video: About to drown – saved by dog
Published:
Published: 04.01.24 at 22:44
Updated: 04.01.24 at 22:56
2024-01-04 21:44:15
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