Springer Spaniel Expected to Recover After Fall From a Cliff
Dog chases bird off 300-foot cliff, survives.
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March 26, 2010
When Lia Markwick and Stephen Winslade agreed to take Lia's brother's Springer spaniel Poppy for a walk, on England's south coast, they had no idea what they were getting into. During their stroll on the beach, the playful pup took off after a seagull, and bounded away. Unfortunately, he was so focused on the bird that he ran off a cliff and plunged to the sea 300-feet below.
Neither Markwick nor Winslade expected the pup to have survived the fall, but Poppy somehow avoided hitting the craggy rocks directly below the cliff and bounced off of a wave. The couple saw her struggling in the water and called the Coast Guard authorities who attended to the dog after she had swum to shore.
The dog suffered from a partially collapsed lung, but was able to make a full recovery and is now thriving.
''She is really well-trained and well-behaved, but I think she ran so fast there was no chance of her stopping," Winslade told the Telegraph. "I threw myself down and looked over the edge and saw her paddling."
Though Poppy is one lucky dog, humans should be cautious of steep drops as well. When hiking through the woods or by the seaside, it's important to know the terrain. Kaboose.com suggests planning ahead and packing maps of trails and the direct number of nearby Park Rangers when planning an outdoor expedition.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are nearly 213,000 outdoor recreational injuries each year, and more than half of those reported occur to young people between the ages of 10 and 24.
When Lia Markwick and Stephen Winslade agreed to take Lia's brother's Springer spaniel Poppy for a walk, on England's south coast, they had no idea what they were getting into. During their stroll on the beach, the playful pup took off after a seagull, and bounded away. Unfortunately, he was so focused on the bird that he ran off a cliff and plunged to the sea 300-feet below.
Neither Markwick nor Winslade expected the pup to have survived the fall, but Poppy somehow avoided hitting the craggy rocks directly below the cliff and bounced off of a wave. The couple saw her struggling in the water and called the Coast Guard authorities who attended to the dog after she had swum to shore.
The dog suffered from a partially collapsed lung, but was able to make a full recovery and is now thriving.
''She is really well-trained and well-behaved, but I think she ran so fast there was no chance of her stopping," Winslade told the Telegraph. "I threw myself down and looked over the edge and saw her paddling."
Though Poppy is one lucky dog, humans should be cautious of steep drops as well. When hiking through the woods or by the seaside, it's important to know the terrain. Kaboose.com suggests planning ahead and packing maps of trails and the direct number of nearby Park Rangers when planning an outdoor expedition.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are nearly 213,000 outdoor recreational injuries each year, and more than half of those reported occur to young people between the ages of 10 and 24.
