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L.A. Officials Defend Dog Rescue

FILE - In this Friday, Jan. 22, 2010 picture, a Los Angeles City firefighter on a harness on a helicopter rescues a dog from the Los Angeles River. The dog was hoisted from the Los Angeles River by helicopter after trying to scramble up the steep concrete sides for more than an hour. Saving a German shepherd stuck in the rising Los Angeles River was the right thing to do, the risks were slight, rescue crews were on standby, extra taxpayer money wasn't used and the alternatives were unacceptable, authorities said Monday, Jan. 25, 2010. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
By D.F. Oliveria daveo@spokesman.com(509) 319-0354
FILE - In this Friday, Jan. 22, 2010 picture, a Los Angeles City firefighter on a harness on a helicopter rescues a dog from the Los Angeles River. The dog was hoisted from the Los Angeles River by helicopter after trying to scramble up the steep concrete sides for more than an hour. Saving a German shepherd stuck in the rising Los Angeles River was the right thing to do, the risks were slight, rescue crews were on standby, extra taxpayer money wasn't used and the alternatives were unacceptable, authorities said Monday, Jan. 25, 2010. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
FILE - In this Friday, Jan. 22, 2010 picture, a Los Angeles City firefighter on a harness on a helicopter rescues a dog from the Los Angeles River. The dog was hoisted from the Los Angeles River by helicopter after trying to scramble up the steep concrete sides for more than an hour. Saving a German shepherd stuck in the rising Los Angeles River was the right thing to do, the risks were slight, rescue crews were on standby, extra taxpayer money wasn't used and the alternatives were unacceptable, authorities said Monday, Jan. 25, 2010. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

In this Friday photo, a Los Angeles City firefighter on a harness on a helicopter rescues a dog from the Los Angeles River. The dog was hoisted from the Los Angeles River by helicopter after trying to scramble up the steep concrete sides for more than an hour. Saving a German shepherd stuck in the rising Los Angeles River was the right thing to do, the risks were slight, rescue crews were on standby, extra taxpayer money wasn’t used and the alternatives were unacceptable, authorities said Monday. (AP Photo/Los Angeles Times, Mark Bolster, File)

Question: Did Los Angeles rescuers do the right thing by taking time to save the German shepherd from drowning?

* This story was originally published as a post from the blog "Huckleberries Online." Read all stories from this blog