A lot of people despise the wintertime. It’s always frigid, wet, and people can barely do anything outside. But for some folks, winter is exactly what they’ve been waiting for. After fresh snow had settled on the mountain slopes, they head up there to do some skiing and snowboarding.
The Arizona Snowbowl Ski Resort is pretty busy at this time of the year. Although there are fewer people because of the pandemic crisis, the resort is pretty packed with extreme sports enthusiasts and their families. As a requirement, resort guests have to be mindful of coronavirus protocols.
But at least, that is all that they have to worry about. The other possible danger they would face in the resort is an avalanche, but Ava will be there to give them a helping paw if needed. This four-year-old yellow Labrador has been with her trainer Hailey Hagerty since she was a puppy.
Ava is a certified search and rescue dog, and she is the resort’s first-ever avalanche dog. As the job title suggests, Ava is expected to find skiers and snowboarders trapped under the snow, should an avalanche take place at the resort. Hailey shared that this pupper is perfect for the job.
Hailey explained that a pooch needs to have a specific personality to become a search and rescue dog. They need to be physically active, but well-disciplined, and they should be able to work around many strange people and objects in their environments. Ava had spent more than enough time at the resort, so we don’t think anything would spook her.
She continues to undergo search and rescue training, and Hailey is giving her increasingly difficult exercises to keep her sharp. Currently, she is able to find and dig out a person underneath the snow within four minutes. An impressive number that could potentially mean the difference between life and death. See this lively pup in action in the video below.
Credits: 12 News