Twelve avalanche dogs and their leaders, two helicopters and a camera crew, 2000 meters high in the spectacular mountain massive of the German Alps: the making of Avalanche Angels was an unusual experience.

The temperature of minus 17°C (1.3F) and the snowy conditions did not spoil the eagerness of our canine protagonists. In an intensive training unit that lasted one week, the dogs learned to travel by helicopter and to sniff out volunteers hidden under thick layers of snow.

"It was amazing to see the trust between the dogs and their handlers", recalls cameraman Matthias Eichhorn. "They obeyed every word and really enjoyed the training." Some of the dogs even turned into real flight aficionados: "One dog was so eager to get up in the air again that he smashed his plastic cage in the morning to race to the helicopter."

Time and again, the intensive training proves its worth when dogs and their handlers rush out to dramatic missions like the spectacular 20-hour rescue that saved 25-year old Andy's life. We are proud to be able to show the dramatic images of this mission, an international exclusive. As very few avalanche victims speak about their traumatic experience underneath the thick white wall of snow, it was an emotional highlight of this production to meet Andy and accompany him to a reunion with his rescuers.

The exclusive material and the great performance of our canine superstars were very well received by world-wide TV audiences when Avalanche Angels was aired by major broadcasters like National Geographic Channel and ARD.