Do you recognise this cliff-climbing dog?

Monday 27 March 2023

After a video of a lonely dog climbing on cliffs circulated on social media this weekend, anyone who recognises the animal is being urged to come forward and ease concerns about the welfare of both the pet and its owner...

JJ Gallagher — owner of RS Tracker — was one of the people who assisted in the search at Noirmont Point on Sunday, after being alerted to the missing dog by the video posted on social media.

Pictured: A video circulating on social media shows the small white dog climbing down the cliffs at Noirmont Point towards the high tide.

Mr Gallagher, who is regularly involved in searches for lost pets, described it as "very strange" that there had been no reports of a missing dog, despite the sighting.

"We found three other missing dogs this weekend, and all of them had been reported missing," he explained. "So it's very unusual to have a dog seen alone but no owner reporting it missing."

Assisted by staff from the JSPCA, Mr Gallagher yesterday descended down the cliff and was pointed in the right direction by the person who had spotted and filmed the dog to ensure he was looking in the right area.

Mr Gallagher spent around four hours searching for the missing dog to no avail, with "no sign or indication" of any animal in the area.

"I purposely kept my own search dog off the beach to avoid confusion with paw prints but there were none in the sandy areas," explained Mr Gallagher.

Pictured: There were no paw prints found in the sandy area at the bottom of the cliff. 

The main concern was that there may have been a human with the dog who had slipped and fallen on the cliff, but Mr Gallagher said that he had contacted the police who had confirmed that no one had been reported missing.

Mr Gallagher added: "We are always concerned for the welfare of the person that goes with the dog."

By the time the searchers had checked the area thoroughly, the tide had receded enough to open up access to the area via the bunker side of Noirmont Point, so Mr Gallagher admitted that there was the possibility that the dog may have found its way back up the cliff if it hadn't already taken to the water.

However, he added: "It's now been over 24 hours and we've still heard nothing from the owner or anyone who recognises the dog, although it is hard to make out the breed of the dog from the video."

Pictured: Mr Gallager searched for the dog alongside the JSPCA.

Mr Gallagher urged the dog's owner or anyone who think they may recognise the animal to get in touch with him or the JSPCA.

"We would feel much more content knowing that there definitely isn't a person in danger," he said, adding that the best case scenario would be that the dog had managed to find its own way home.

Pictured: Mr Gallagher spent four hours searching the area yesterday.

Mr Gallagher also wanted to thank everyone who had turned up to help search for the dog, explaining that many people had walked the cliff path to check the bracken.

"It was the usual good community spirit we see when a dog goes missing," he said.

You can contact JJ Gallagher via Facebook, or call the JSPCA on 01534 724331.