Couple reunited with much loved dog
Published: October 22, 2007
UK — A SHETLAND couple was relieved and delighted last night (Thursday) after being reunited with their border collie which had been feared drowned after falling down an 30 foot cliff.
Five year old Taffy fell down the cliffs at Cowe Bay, in Aberdeen, on Monday morning when its owners Angie and Harry Hatton, from Voe, took their dog for a walk after arriving in Aberdeen off the overnight ferry.
Despite an intensive search by coastguard rescue teams there was no sign of the border collie.
Yesterday afternoon, more than three days later, two ladies walking on the cliff path discovered Taffy when looking down the embankment.
A coastguard team safely recovered Taffy and reunited the lucky dog with his grateful owners, who were still in Aberdeen.
Mrs Hatton said Taffy had amazingly only lost one tooth and cut his mouth in the fall.
She said: “I am relieved and delighted that we have Taffy back. We have been to the vet with him and he is okay.
“How he has managed to survive for more than three days without water and food I don’t know.
“When the Coastguard checked on Monday, and I checked again on Tuesday and Wednesday, there was no sign of him. So, I am assuming he must have swum to somewhere where we couldn’t find him, and then swam back.”
Bill Smith, from Aberdeen Coastguard said: “A happy ending to this incident, but we would remind owners to keep their dogs on leads when walking on cliff paths.
“We would also recommend that owners do not put themselves at risk attempting to rescue their pets but dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
The Hattons and Taffy are due to return back to Shetland on Saturday morning.
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