Man reunites with his dog after a rescue in Joshua Tree National Park

A man and his dog reunited last week at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus after a recent rescue in Joshua Tree National Park. The rescue also illustrates the need for pet owners to use extreme caution when visiting wilderness areas.

Christian Corona of Chino Hills was camping June 9 at the Jumbo Rocks campground when his 10-month-old Doberman, Onyx, seemingly got spooked and ran away. Many attempts to find the dog all day Saturday and early Sunday were unsuccessful.

“I never thought I would see him again,” said Corona, 28.

Later on Sunday, Joshua Tree National Park officials started getting reports of a dog sighting. Onyx had climbed to a perch on rock formations, approximately 200 feet up, near the campground. JOSAR – a search and rescue outfit that includes volunteers and National Park Service staffers – was activated to retrieve the dog.

Fortunately for the JOSAR team, Onyx was in a spot that didn’t require much technical climbing. And the hike to the pooch only took about 15 minutes.

Some said he resembled a big horn sheep. Rescue officials reached the dog and he barked, as if he was startled, but it didn’t take long to warm up to his rescuers. One of them poured a bowl of water and Onyx started chugging the water. It was obvious to the rescuers the dog was very dehydrated.

After providing assurance, treats and comfort, the rescue team members harnessed the dog and eased him down from his temporary perch. Onyx then sat inside a well-air-conditioned ranger’s vehicle. Riverside County Animal Services Officer Bryan Yarnall responded to Joshua Tree and transported Onyx to the county’s shelter in Thousand Palms. Shelter staff noticed a social media post about missing pets in the Morongo Basin and read about the missing Doberman. An Animal Services employee reached out to Onyx’s owner.

“This is one of our more unique reunions,” Animal Services Director Erin Gettis said. “People don’t realize we respond to Joshua Tree National Park since the majority of the park is within Riverside County. Pet owners should always be vigilant in protecting their pets from situations like this. A microchip or collar with a tag could have resulted in a much sooner reunion.  Heading toward the Fourth of July holiday, we encourage all owners to ensure the chip info for your pet is up to date and your dog is wearing a tag and collar kept in a safe location or on a leash.”

Corona said he had walked to one of the campground’s bathrooms when a buzzing sound caused his dog’s legs to quiver, something he said happens when Onyx gets nervous. It might have been a hive of bees, Corona said. That was one theory.

“He bolted back to the campground and to my surprise he ran straight into the tent,” Corona said. “What baffles me is, when I got near him, he barks at me. The he just runs, books it to the road, fast. I got in my car to try to catch up with him. But we’re in the desert, there are no walls, no fences. Who knows when he’s going to stop?”

Temperatures soared to the mid-90s on Saturday and Sunday. The incident is a reminder for pet owners to take extra precautions for their pets.

A dog must be leashed at all times in a national park and dog owners must be aware that a dog’s behavior is very different inside a national park – it’s a wilderness area. There are a lot of dangers for a pet: Water is not available and there are larger predators and rattlesnakes.

Corona said he now knows why this happened. “Ego,” he said. “I have a very close relationship with him and many people come to me for dog advice because they see how well behaved my dog is.”

He said he had his dog on a leash all day Friday in camp and Onyx showed few signs of wanting to explore alone. He stayed calm and he stayed put. But on that post-sunrise trip to the bathroom, Onyx was off leash and Corona said he will be a faithful leash user from this moment forward.

“People be warned – dogs are unpredictable,” Corona said. “Who’s to say this could not happen anywhere? It could be a squirrel and he gets excited and then bolts for the street and gets hit by a car. Lesson learned. I am eternally grateful for the rangers and everyone who helped me try to find him. It was so heartwarming – people came together to help. It was just amazing.”

A full list of pet-safety tips is provided by the National Park Service here:

https://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/pets.htm

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