Dog leads couple on a date to remember
A DOG owner had a first date to remember after her puppy plunged nearly 100ft down a cliff.
Philippa Ruggier took along pointer-vizsla cross Luther when she met her companion for a romantic seaside walk on Saturday.
But as the couple walked along the top of the cliffs, 12-month-old Luther tumbled over the edge.
He howled for help from a ledge before slipping to the bottom of the cliff at Orcombe Point, near Exmouth, Devon, injuring his leg.
Her date Michael and a passer-by helped keep Ms Ruggier calm as a lifeboat team rescued the stricken pup. Luther is expected to make a full recovery after having surgery to his right front paw.
Yesterday Ms Ruggier, 43, from Exeter, admitted she and Michael, who she met on an internet dating site, had “a very memorable first date”.
The couple are now going on a slightly safer second date – a meal at a Moroccan restaurant – without Luther.
The mother-of-three said: “I met Michael with Luther on Saturday.
“We had a lovely walk on the beach, had a coffee – it was going very well.
“We were walking a fair distance away from the cliff edge and one minute Luther was there and the next he’d disappeared.”
Dave Littlefield of Exmouth RNLI said: “Philippa and Michael did the right thing to call 999 and not attempt a rescue themselves as this could have put them in danger.”