Expert climber rescues missing Mallaig dog
Missing Mallaig labrador Wolfie had a lucky break when he plummeted down a slope as wet ground gave way and he had his fall broken by a ledge high above the sea.
The much-loved family pet of Kate and Simon Maclennan had a second stroke of luck when, after being missing for 24 hours, he was rescued from his precarious position by someone who happens to be an expert mountaineer and an experienced outdoor pursuits instructor.
The five-year-old dog had run after another dog during a walk in Mallaig on Saturday.
A relieved Ms Maclennan told the Lochaber Times earlier this week: ‘I am the new English teacher at Mallaig High School and we haven’t been here that long.
‘My partner was walking Wolfie in Mallaig Bheag when he ran off after a spaniel. My partner couldn't give fast chase as he had our toddler son with him.
‘Wolfie doesn’t know the area that well so we were worried he might not find his way back.’
The current coronavirus lockdown meant efforts to search for Wolfie were hampered, although a number of local people out for their permitted daily exercise or own dog walks kept their eyes peeled for the missing pooch.
On Sunday, Niall Johnson, a neighbour of Kate and Simon, who was out for his daily exercise, heard a noise that at first he took for a seal.
‘I heard a faint noise and thought at first it could’ve been a seal on the shoreline. But then I heard it again and realised it was a dog whining and whimpering.
‘I knew Wolfie had been missing and had been keeping my eyes peeled while I was out. When I finally spotted him, he was perched on a precarious ledge and could not go forwards or back.’
Mr Johnson said the ground was steep and with all the recent rain, it appeared Wolfie had ventured onto a overhang of moss and peat which had given way under him and he’d ended up on a ledge about 30 feet below the edge and high above the sea.
Mr Johnson said what he did next was something he would never have recommended to all the students he taught during more than a quarter of a century teaching climbing and other outdoor skills at his outdoor pursuits school in the Uists.
‘It wouldn’t be advisable but I did a risk assessment and, although I didn’t have any equipment with me like ropes, I knew I had the skill set to get down to Wolfie reasonably safely,’ he told the Lochaber Times.
‘Wolfie is a big heavy dog and he was quite stressed and anxious. It took me about 10 or 15 minutes letting him get to know me before I could attempt to lift him up towards the slope where I thought he could get some traction and get himself up.
‘Once I got him up, I put my shoulder under his backside and heaved him up. Once he was up, I started hauling myself up and just when I was at the most precarious part, Wolfie leapt down on me to start licking my face in gratitude – he couldn’t have picked a worse time! ‘There was a fair bit of swearing at that point and I’m sure the folks in Glenfinnan could have heard me!’
Mr Johnson then walked Wolfie home, as luckily he’d taken a strap used to secure kayaks to his roof rack on the chance he came across Wolfie.
Ms Maclennan said Wolfie recovered quickly and was none the worse for his overnight ordeal.
‘He’s fine but he was definitely pleased to be home and tucked into two tins of Chappie dog food, a plate of spaghetti bolognaise and a slice of fresh cream cake I had made for Easter.
‘We can’t thank Niall enough. He is an absolute star.’
‘When I finally spotted him, he was perched on a percarious ledge and could not go forwards or back.’