Trapped Dog Rescued From A Perilous Cliff
From my own town! We had a rescue drama here earlier this week when a Labrador mix was discovered perched on a mountain ledge. Practically all of the town's rescue services responded to save the dog who has now been named "Cliff," in honor of his rescue from his high perch. No one knows where he came from or how long he'd been on that cliff edge, but he's a very lucky dog that someone noticed him and called out the rescue teams. Now he has a chance to start over with a good life. I'm sure he'll be quickly adopted.
From the Greeneville Sun
Trapped Dog Rescued From A Perilous Cliff
Cliff: Rescued Dog Gets New Name at Humane Society.
Labrador On Ledge
At Mountain Top
Was Glad To See
The Rescue Squad
By BILL JONES
Staff Writer
Volunteers from the Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad and the South Greene Volunteer Fire Department on Wednesday night rescued a dog that had been trapped on a cliff off the Asheville Highway near the North Carolina state line.
Jon Waddell, the Rescue Squad's captain, said he was contacted about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday by the Greeneville-Greene County Humane Society and asked for the squad's help in rescuing the medium-sized black dog from a ledge some 30 feet up a shale cliff just off the Asheville Highway near the Mountain Top Tavern.
"They said the dog had been stuck up there since Monday, and maybe longer," Waddell said. "Nobody knew who the dog belonged to."
Amy Bowman, manager of the Humane Society's shelter off Hal Henard Road, said her organization had been contacted by the owners of the Mountain Top Tavern after they noticed that the dog was trapped near their business.
Bowman said she and Dr. Bobbie Hodges, the Humane Society's veterinarian went to the scene to assess the situation late Wednesday afternoon and subsequently called the Rescue Squad for help.
Rescue Squad Capt. Waddell said he subsequently contacted Greene County 911, which sent out a call for Rescue Squad volunteers.
He noted that he and five other GE&RS volunteers went to the scene, not knowing exactly what to expect. As a result, he said, they took with them a rescue trailer filled with rescue equipment.
By the time the volunteers reached the scene some 13 miles south of Greeneville, darkness had fallen, further complicating the rescue effort, Waddell said.
"After we saw what we had, we called the South Greene Volunteer Fire Department for help," Waddell said.
He noted that more than a half-dozen SGVFD firefighters responded to the scene along with one fire engine.
Waddell said Rescue Squad volunteers and firefighters decided to position a ladder taken from the fire truck at the foot of the cliff and rig a harness and hoist system from trees at the top of the cliff to attempt to reach the trapped dog.
After donning a safety harness attached to a rope secured at the top of the cliff, Waddell said he climbed the ladder and lured the trapped dog as close as possible with "treats" before securing it with a borrowed capture pole.
The dog, he said, did not struggle during the rescue.
"He was ready to come down," Waddell said of the dog.
The Humane Society's Bowman said she watched as Waddell, who was supported by a safety harness from above and guided by a volunteer firefighter carried the dog down the ladder to safety.
After being rescued, the dog was taken by the Greeneville-Greene County Humane Society's Bowman and Dr. Hodges to the Humane Society's shelter to be examined and cared for, Waddell said.
Bowman said the dog has been given the name, "Cliff," in consideration of where he came.
Bowman said that Dr. Hodges examined Cliff on Wednesday night and found him to be in generally good health despite his ordeal.
Cliff, she said, is Labrador retriever mix who is thought to be about a year old and weighs about 40 pounds.
"He was really hungry," she said. "And last night he acted as though he thought the metal cage we put him in was the best place in the world."
