Dog and Sheep Rescued from 300 Foot Cliff

Written by Lauren Benton | February 3, 2011 at 4:28 am

Richmond, Virginia — Officials rescued a sheep and dog that had been trapped at the bottom of a 300 foot cliff recently.

Firefighters rappelled down the cliff and came to their rescue.

“When the most dramatic thing in Richmond is an animal rescue, it’s a good day,” wrote City Councilman Tom Butt, who owns the sheep, in an e-mail to residents Wednesday morning.

Butt owns three goats and two sheep to graze on brush and help prevent wildfires. On Tuesday afternoon, a dog named Sparkle got inside Butt’s fence and chased one of his sheep out of the pasture and over a nearby cliff.

“The dog and sheep, who were

shortly before chaser and chasee, found themselves reluctant buddies stranded a few feet apart on a ledge,” Butt wrote in e-mail. “The chase was over for the dog, and fear had set in for both animals.”

Using rope, firefighters descended the hill, harnessed the animals and brought them to safety, Turner said. The operation took about two hours.

“Animals are more difficult (to rescue) than people because they’re unpredictable,” Turner said.

There were several onlookers who tried to rescue the animals, but were advised against it because of the danger. A woman that knew the dog’s owner tried to help but stopped because the terrain was so steep.

Both dog and sheep are back with their owners.

Submitted by J. Lauren Benton