The dog refused to continue its descent of the mountain. Photo: Keswick MRT

An injured dog was stretchered from England’s highest mountain after getting into difficulties.

Keswick Mountain Rescue Team was alerted late on Saturday night to aid two walkers whose husky refused to make the descent from Scafell Pike.

The two women, one of whom was seven months pregnant, had summited the fell about 5pm, leaving enough daylight time to return to their starting point at Seathwaite in Borrowdale.

The walkers reached the Styhead path before the six-year-old dog refused to walk any further, despite being lured by treats.

A team spokesperson said: “One of our team members who lives close to the location set off first with his daughter, a student vet.

“They were followed by a vehicle of team members and one of our search dog handlers.

“It was quickly obvious that the dog would not be able to walk down. It made two steps with some gentle persuasion and loads of treats and stopped, so she was placed in a kind of nest made from our casualty bag, put on to the stretcher, strapped in and carried down arriving back in the valley at Seathwaite around 2am.

The husky was packed in the team's casualty bag for the stretcher journey to Seathwaite. Photo: Keswick MRT

“The owner kindly updated us the next day and it turned out the dog had lacerations on its paws, explaining its reluctance to walk.

“It had previously done the Yorkshire Three Peaks, so is a fit dog. It was just unfortunate, but made for a different kind of rescue from the norm.”

The rescue lasted just less than three hours and involved 13 volunteers from Keswick MRT.