A Nova Scotia couple is breathing a huge sigh of relief – and thanking local first responders – after their dog was rescued from the side of a tall cliff at a popular park last weekend. Amanda and Chris McCurdy were camping at Blomidon Provincial Park with some family on Aug. 15 when they decided to hike one of the trails with their yellow labrador retriever, Reese. “He loves going on adventures,” Amanda McCurdy told CTV News. “He wants to go everywhere we go.” McCurdy said four-year-old Reese was off his leash, but they weren’t worried as he usually stays by their side. However, when they were almost at the lookoff, they realized Reese was no longer with them. “He’s the type of dog who always sticks around, but obviously things happen,” she said. “He was very close to us, and all of a sudden, he was not there.” They started calling for Reese and searching the trails, aided by fellow hikers who wanted to help. They looked over the cliff and, while there was no obvious sign Reese had gone over the edge, they grew concerned that’s what may have happened. McCurdy and her family eventually made their way back to their campsite and connected with park staff to get the word out their dog was missing. She also made a Facebook post. “Community is the best way to get things out there,” she said. “The amount of feedback I had from that post, from strangers in the community, was amazing.” Having no luck on the trails or in the woods, the McCurdys decided to head down to the beach and scan the cliffside from below. That’s when they noticed a motionless, light-coloured object, which they thought was Reese’s body, on the side of the cliff. It was too high up to be sure, so they took some photos of the site, and contacted the Canning and District Volunteer Fire Department to see if they could investigate with a drone. “They had pretty much convinced themselves their dog was deceased,” Canning Fire Chief Jeff Skaling told CTV News. “The owner was pretty upset, so I said I’d go out Sunday and verify.” ‘We were all just amazed’ Members of the Canning Fire Department responded to the park Sunday afternoon and used McCurdy’s photos and GPS coordinates to locate the site on the cliff. They received permission from park staff to fly a drone over the area and, after zooming in, they realized the light-coloured object wasn’t Reese after all. “It was flowers, actually,” said Skaling. So, they took an ATV back to the part of the trail where the McCurdys had last seen Reese and launched the drone over the cliff from there. “Within two minutes we saw the dog … and he was alive,” said Skaling. “We were all just amazed. Frankly, we thought we were just going to verify a deceased animal for the owners.” “To my shock and awe, when they called his name he responded,” said McCurdy. “Even then, we still weren’t optimistic. When we heard that news, we were realistic that it still might not be a good outcome, but it was shocking that he was still there and he responded.” Rope team to the rescue According to the fire department, the cliffs at that particular location are roughly 170 metres from the top to the beach down below. Reese had fallen about 21 metres and landed in some bushes at the top of a talus slope. “He got a little bit of cushioning from the bushes, but he couldn’t move,” said Skaling, who figures the bushes are what saved the dog. “He was stuck where he landed.” It wasn’t possible to safely reach Reese via the beach as the talus slope was too unstable and overgrown. So, Skaling called in the Kings County Rescue Team, comprised of members from the Canning, Port Williams, Kentville and New Minas fire departments. Twelve members responded and launched a rescue operation using ropes and a special harness for animals. Two firefighters rappelled down the cliff, checked Reese over for injuries, and secured the dog with the harness to one of the rescuers. Then they were all lifted back up to the top. Skaling said Reese was walking but appeared to be sore and dehydrated. After a drink of water and a snack, the team drove him out of the woods on an ATV to be reunited with his family, who had been kept in the loop via radio. Skaling said the rescue mission took about five hours total, ending around 10:30 p.m. Sunday. “When he came out of the woods on that quad, it was just surreal,” said McCurdy. “Everyone had a huge smile on their face.” ‘He’s been doing really well’ After some hugs and belly rubs, they took Reese to a veterinary clinic in Halifax, where he stayed overnight. He had a few cuts and a sore front leg that required a splint but is otherwise OK. He’s been taking it easy this week while he recovers at home. “He’s been getting back to his normal self. He’s been doing really well,” said McCurdy. “I think I’m still in a little bit of disbelief about what went down.” She is grateful for everyone who helped look for Reese, noting some park staff came in while they were off the clock. She’s especially thankful for the Kings County Rope Rescue Team. “I can’t say enough about the volunteers,” added McCurdy. “It’s been insane, how much support came out of that. It just makes me feel so lucky to live in the community we live in.” McCurdy said one of the team members even came to their home in Coldbrook, N.S., to check on Reese, and she’s planning to take the pup to the Canning Fire Department for a visit next week. “It’s great for the fire hall to get the recognition they deserve,” she added. She also has a message for fellow dog owners. “Looking back, hindsight is 20/20. I want to recognize that this wouldn’t have happened if Reese had been on his leash,” acknowledged McCurdy. “It started that way, and we got complacent.” ‘Dogs are family members’ Skaling said many of the team’s rope rescues do involve pets, especially dogs, that end up in precarious situations. He urges anyone who finds their pet trapped in an unsafe location to contact their local fire department, rather than trying to rescue them themselves. “For some people, their dogs are family members. They’re very tied to their pets, so it’s an emotional thing,” said Skaling. “Because those pets are tied to the owners emotionally, some people will then make decisions to make rescues on their own and that can put humans at risk.” While Reese’s rescue was a tricky and lengthy operation for the team, Skaling said the outcome was the best-case scenario. “No firefighters were injured and Reese is home happy with his family.” For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
