The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Firefighters rescue dog stuck on cliff ledge
SOUTHINGTON — Jess Amenta was unloading groceries with her mom when they heard a faraway cry.
Paco, their 3-year-old beagle, had busted through an invisible electric fence at her Mount Vernon Road home and was no where to be found.
With other family members and neighbors, they searched the area for hours on Wednesday night, and even posted to social media hoping to find the dog.
But — despite not knowing where Paco was — they said they could hear him.
“The crying kept getting farther and farther away,” Amenta told Hearst Connecticut Media. “It sounded like he was injured — and it was just the scariest thing. And not being able to get to him was just the most difficult part.”
Finally, Amenta's brother-inlaw spotted the pooch on a ledge 20 feet up a cliff face in the woods. He climbed up the rocks, but got stuck with Paco. Amenta couldn't get to the two because of downed trees in the wooded area.
“He said, ‘There's no way I can get him out, there's no way I can get him out, we need help',” Amenta said.
The family called the Southington Fire Department at about 10:55 p.m. for help.
“I could hear him on the road, you know, that mournful hound howl,” Southington Fire Battalion Chief Glenn Dube said. “You know he's out there — but you can't find him.”
Navigating the steep ground in the darkness of night, the firefighters helped Paco and Amenta's brother-in-law down the ledge, Dube said. They could not set up a rope system during the risky rescue operation given the terrain and the lack of light, he said.
“It was extremely difficult terrain to get up to him,” Dube added.
The firefighters then walked everybody out of the woods safely, making sure no one tripped or got bit by a copperhead snake, he said.
No injuries were reported in the incident. Firefighters left the area at about 11:15 p.m., but not before Paco jumped on each of the 10 firefighters to thank them.
Dube and Amenta are unsure how Paco ended up on the ledge, but Amenta said her backyard backs into Southington Mountain.
Dube said it was possible Paco was involved in a hunt, but wasn't sure whether the dog was chasing something or whether something was after the dog.
“We don't know what put the dog up there in the first place,” Dube added.
Dube was thankful that Paco didn't jump off the ledge because he could have been injured. He also called it “one of the more unusual calls” he's had in his career.
Dube said the rescue mission was a group effort and thanked dispatchers, firefighters, police, the family and neighbors.
“Everybody worked together very well,” he said. “There was a lot of potential for a broken bone or a fall or a lot of potential for somebody to get hurt.”
Amenta said she appreciated the fire department's quick response.
“Words really can't express how grateful I am to them,” she said. “I'm so happy to have him back. He's not just a dog to me, he's a family member.”
After his excursion, Amenta said Paco was happy to see his family again. He drank a whole bowl of water and then fell asleep under the covers, Amenta said.
“He was exhausted,” she said.