Vacation turned into horror as puppy tumbles off 100-foot cliff — but video captured his heroic rescue
When taking your dog out for vacations, pet owners need to be extra careful while handling them. And rightfully so, because these innocent animals might end up in dangerous situations while exploring an unknown territory. Just like kids, your pets too need constant monitoring; otherwise, a moment of carelessness can make you lose them forever. In a similar situation, the Mesa County Sheriff's Office stepped in to rescue a stranded puppy trapped over 100 feet down the cliffside at Colorado National Monument.
Well, the innocent dog was out on vacation with her owner when the unfortunate tragedy happened. The minute the pet parent opened the door, the puppy was so excited that she leaped out of the vehicle and ran towards the ledge. "Unfortunately, she didn’t understand the concept of the canyon and found herself falling over 100 feet off the edge before landing on a shelf," the officials shared. Thankfully, Deputy Strauch was nearby and turned up at the spot with a dog-catching pole. However, since the dog had fallen to a great height, she couldn't be rescued with just the catching pole. Hence, the Mesa County Search & Rescue team was contacted.
As captured in the video, one person from the rescue team used a rope to get inside the canyon, while another member stood there near the ledge, pulling them to the surface. The daring mission eventually led to the safe rescue of the puppy. "Despite her long fall, the dog was up and walking once her rescuers got her over the ledge. Her owner was extremely grateful and took her to the emergency vet right away," the officials revealed. On a lighter note, the officials shared that the dog has certainly used one of her 9 lives for this fatal adventure at Colorado National Monument.
Meanwhile, the Facebook post received an outpouring of love, with people praising the team for their efficient rescue operation. For example, Christina Craig commented, "The owners of the dog will tell everyone we have the best search and rescue people...because we do!!! Thank you for saving this dog!" Similarly, Phil Kimble wrote, "Well done. I hope the owners made a generous donation to Mesa County Search & Rescue." Toni Hoover shared, "Mesa County Search & Rescue is blessed with the best! So glad you both made it up to the top safely!" Sharon Trombetta commented, "Oh my! What a rescue and miracle that the dog wasn’t hurt. Thank you for rescuing her!"
On the other hand, Cynthia Reed said, "A good reminder that all dogs are supposed to be on a leash (hopefully under the control of someone) and not allowed to wander around in dangerous situations. The rescue squad should not have to put their own lives in danger to rescue anyone who was careless about safety. So glad that this all worked out well. Awesome rescue." Kate Smarg commented, "Wow! Thanks for the save. This is why I make sure our leashes are always secure on both my dogs and myself prior to opening doors."
Doris Janowski revealed, "We had a darling Black Lab that we adopted in Nebraska, which is basically flat. We brought her home to Colorado and took her hiking in a small box canyon, off the leash, with our other dogs. She was up on the rim of the canyon, saw us on the floor of the canyon, and ran right off the edge of the canyon to get to us. Fortunately, she landed in a plum thicket and wasn’t hurt. Very surprised, however!" Anita Ashley Watkins said, "Thank you for saving their fur baby... I bet the dog was scared to death."
You can follow the Mesa County Sheriff's Office on Facebook for more such rescue operations.