Avalanche dog stuck in US

A Queenstown-based avalanche search and rescue dog is stranded in the United States.

Brad Saville, a 38-year-old ski patroller, is ‘‘devastated" his 18-month-old curly-coated retriever is stuck in Colorado where the pair had been undertaking avalanche dog training as part of a ski patrol exchange programme.

The pair had been in Colorado since December and were meant to return to Queenstown last week but when the coronavirus pandemic took hold he was given a 48-hour window to fly home to

New Zealand. Saville returned on March 26, but Bomber, who was meant to follow on another flight after final vet checks, did not make it. ‘‘I received notice from my pet transport company, based in LA, that Bomber’s flights back to New Zealand are suspended until further notice.’’

Thankfully, Bomber was able to stay with the people Saville had stayed with during the exchange.

‘‘It’s not just people stuck in limbo. Animals are involved as well and Bomber – who is a service dog for his country – is stuck on the other side of the world relying on us humans to sort it out.’’

As well as missing his best friend, he was worried the time apart would affect the intensive training that had been invested in Bomber. ‘‘The bond is everything when you are training a search dog. The time and investment to travel internationally with an animal is a huge undertaking.

‘‘To keep him on the snow for three winters within the first two years of his life allowed for enormous potential of becoming certified for this New Zealand winter ... If the time apart extends further I fear it will be damaged to a point I will not be able to fulfil my ambition of turning him into a search and rescue dog.’’