Round of a-paws for British base personnel who scaled cliff to rescue stranded dog

A dog found abandoned on a cliff in a British Sovereign Base Area in Cyprus is to be rehomed. 

It took a whole day for the police and Defence Fire Rescue to save the dog, which was stranded on the edge of the cliffs near Zapalo beach in Akrotiri, on Saturday.

The Sovereign Base Area (SBA) police have confirmed that the dog has now been handed over to Hope for Homeless, a Nicosia-based dog charity, to be rehomed.

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Neophytos Neophytou, a member of the Cyprus Animal Party who collected the dog for the charity, was quick to express his gratitude.

He said: "A big thank you to the British Bases authorities, the SBA police, the Marine Unit and Defence Fire Rescue, for their superhuman efforts and risking their own lives to save this soul.

"The lucky girl will be adopted by Hope for Homeless, who will find a forever, loving home for her."

Clearly having a 'ruff' day, the dog was initially spotted on the cliffs by a walker who then contacted the police.

With a clear threat to the animal's life, police inspector Lakis Hadjichristodoulou explained how the rescue mission unfolded.

He said: "The dog could not be seen but her cry could be heard, so we called the SBA Police Marine Unit to find the exact location of the dog."

Defence Fire Rescue (DFR) personnel then scaled the cliff using ropes to reach the clearly shaken dog.

DFR Area Manager Jim Gray, who watched his crew carry out the rescue, said: "This was a very challenging situation as a result of the location of the dog but, thankfully, we have been trained for situations like these and we are delighted that the story now has a happy ending."

RAF Akrotiri's helicopter crew was on standby but, luckily for the rescue pup, the DFR personnel were able to get her to safety without the need for a helicopter ride.

Shaken but unscathed, the dog was taken to the SBA Police station in Akrotiri where she was given food and water.

With no owner to claim the spotted spaniel was handed over to the animal welfare charity which will be working to find the "lucky girl" her 'fur-ever' home.