An 11-month old cockapoo puppy has been rescued after she suffered a nasty 60 foot fall off a cliff and terrified her owner. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s volunteer crew at Ilfracombe, Devon, found the adorable pup, called Betty, on a tidal shelf after she slipped while on a walk.
The rescue pup tumbled from an unstable section near the top of the cliff after being spooked by the lead clattering behind her.
For hours, she remained stuck on a narrow ledge, unable to go up or down, as a Coast Guard crew worked to rescue her.
Betty’s owner, Karen Porter said the young canine is still scared of strange people, which made the rescue mission tricky.
She said: “She’s still very scared of strange people so when the Coastguard team went down to get her, she got scared and tumbled over the edge down onto the beach below.
“It was terrifying having her stuck down there, but everyone was amazing, I can’t thank the RNLI and the Coastguard enough, they were wonderful.”
After enduring a fractured front leg and various cuts and bruises, Betty is now making a full recovery.
Karen said: “We’re amazed that she’s come out of this alive.
“The vet is amazed at how well she’s healing so far – she’s been making a remarkable recovery.
“We go back in a couple of weeks for X-rays and then she can start exercising again.”
Ilfracombe volunteer crew member Matt Parr said: “It was a massive relief when we could see the dog on the beach and she looked ok.
“After a bit of difficulty calming her down, we got her into the boat pretty easily and she relaxed a bit.
“The owner did the right thing by calling 999 and asking for the Coastguard and not attempting to help Betty herself.
“It is a great feeling to be able to hand a much-loved dog back to its owners. They were so pleased to see her.”
