It's a mountain lie-in: Massive dog rescued after collapsing on hike

A 55 kilogram dog has gained a small fan club after he found a clever way to get out of his afternoon hike.

The Great Pyrenees named Kato became a bit dehydrated and decided he had done enough hiking on Sunday, leaving it up to his humans to get him him back down Maxwell Falls in Colorado.

But given his sheer size, Kato’s owners were forced to call in reinforcements to get the exhausted pooch safely down the treacherous trail.

Evergreen Fire and Rescue said they did not hesitate responding to the emergency call once they heard there was a tired doggo, racing up the mountain and using the same stretcher they use for humans.

As photos show, the emergency workers couldn’t help but grin as they carried a visibly tired Kato down to the base of the mountain.

While he may not have been able to complete the intended route, Kato apparently did become the “spirit animal” for several social media users who shared the dog’s attitude towards hiking.

If you are planning on taking your dog for a hike, you should always ensure that it has plenty of water and proper foot protection, the emergency workers warned.

The officers said dog owners should never take their dogs on a hike if the weather is too hot and always ensure that they start off on smaller hikes to build up their endurance.

They said it may even be worthwhile to get your pooch some sunscreen if it has light skin or thin fur.