Collar saves dog from 70ft cliff fall

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-07-31 10:55

A dog has escaped certain death after his collar snagged on rocks when he fell from a 70ft cliff.

Golden Retriever Mac was chasing a rabbit along a coastal path on the Isle Of Wight when he plunged over the cliff edge.

Fortunately, to the relief of the canine's owner Margaret Sills, Mac's collar became caught on the cliff face, saving his life.

"If he hadn't been wearing one he would have just free-fallen all the way and there's no way he could have survived," Sills, 65, told The Daily Telegraph.

After being rescued, Mac was taken to the island's Riverbank Animal Hospital, where he received treatment for broken legs and a punctured lung. He is now recovering at home following two operations.

Sills added: "He'll be in the plaster casts for six months so he can lead a true dog's life until then. He can't really move so I've been helping him get outside on special ramps I made for him. He can barely support his own weight so I even have to support him when he goes to the toilet. He's really embarrassed, I'm sure."

Mac is one-year-old and had been holidaying on the island with his owner when the incident occurred. The duo live together in Peterborough.