A husky puppy who chased a rabbit over the cliff edge at Amroth on Friday morning had to be rescued by emergency rescue teams.
The alarm was raised when Milford Haven Coastguard HQ received a frantic call from a mum at 10.40 am to say her daughter's husky puppy, 'Khia', had disappeared over the cliff edge. Coastguard Rescue Team members from Tenby, assisted by the Manorbier team, the South Pembs. sector manager, Dave Miller, and the RNLI inshore lifeboat from Tenby, all rushed to the scene.
On arrival, the coastguards discovered that a huge barrier of scrub, bracken and undergrowth was between them at the top of the cliffs and the Siberian husky puppy's position someway down the cliff.
As a result of this barrier, the inshore lifeboat was called to spot the dog from the sea. Whilst the coastguards set-up their cliff rescue equipment and began lowering one of their crew down into the undergrowth, which at one point was some 14-feet over his head, the lifeboat crew could see the dog about halfway down the 100-foot cliffs. One of the lifeboat crew, Chris Salisbury, waded ashore and with deft coaxing managed to call the puppy down the cliffs towards him.
The coastguard cliffman, Mark Parkin, making suitable noises, also managed to manoeuvre the dog nearer to the lifeboat man. The co-ordinated efforts of both men allowed Khia to scramble down into the arms of Chris, who has now been named 'Chris the dog whisperer'. Once safely wrapped in his arms, the dog was carried back to the anxious owners waiting on the beach at Amroth.
Khia was checked over by the attending RSPCA inspector and given a clean bill of health. She is now safely back with her grateful owner, none the worse for her adventure.
Chris 'the dog whisperer' and the coastguard cliffman are also safe and sound without being bitten by the frightened dog or injured by the dense scrub and unexpected clefts in the hidden cliff face.