A nine-stone Cane Corso dog missing for seven days has been rescued from a cliff edge near Kinlochbervie.
Loki was reported missing one week ago, and a search was launched by the pooch’s devastated owner and local community.
On Sunday evening, there was a glimmer of hope when a tourist visiting the area heard barking from a cliff edge.
Following a search by the Assynt mountain rescue team, Loki was discovered on cliffs to the north of Sheigra Beach.Â
And despite surviving only on rainwater for 170 hours, he was described as being in a “reasonable condition”.
On a post on social media, Assynt MRT explained: “Yesterday evening the team was called out by Police Scotland to rescue Loki, a 60kg Cane Corso dog from the cliffs to the north of Sheigra beach, close to the harbour village of Kinlochbervie.
“Despite extensive search efforts by the dog’s owners and members of the local community, he had remained missing for seven days.
“A small group of team members were deployed to the area who met with the gentleman that had found Loki.
“Miraculously, the dog appeared to be uninjured and in reasonable condition given he had only had rainwater to survive on for the past 170 hours.”
Rescue operation launched for Loki
Upon risk assessing the situation, the team decided on what they described as “a simple technical rescue” involving carrying Loki in an empty one-tonne aggregate sack.
The team added: “At around half past midnight Loki was safely at the top of the cliff and on his way down to await collection by his owners in the early hours of this morning.”
Delighted owner Christine Mcdonald has thanked Assynt MRT online for their invaluable help.
She said: “I just wanted to take a moment to thank Clive who found him, and Assynt Mountain Rescue Team who returned him from the cliff side safely.
“I have so many more thank yous to share soon.”
In its update, Assynt MRT reminded followers that it relies on donations.
They said: “(We are) made up of volunteers and cover all of Caithness and Sutherland, some of the remotest land in northern Scotland.
“We provide a search and rescue service and we need donations from the public to enable us to continue to do this every single hour and day of 2024.”
You can donate here.
