Dog found entangled on cliff, rescued by cyclists

While enjoying a cycle at Holla Trails with friends, former stuntman and keen cyclist, Tyrone Stephenson’s morning recently came to a dramatic halt.

“While crossing over the deepest part of the valley on the pink route, I heard a strange screaming sound,” said Stephenson, who lives in Ballito.

Startled by this haunting noise, he stopped and went to investigate.

“We looked at the cliffs and saw movement. It looked like an animal was hanging by its neck from one of the cliffs.”

Stephenson and his friends, Andre and his daughter Jessica van Vollenstee, started climbing up the cliff to rescue what they thought was a buck or something similar.

“With my knackered back and my friend’s stuffed knees, we managed to get up there and realised it was a dog entangled in vines.

“His bony body and tight, scruffy collar was hooked in the thorns. He managed to pull himself onto a ledge, where we could get near him.

“I thought he broke his hip, because the bones were sticking out so severely. He was not aggressive and we could get close to him and touch him.”

They brought the dog back down and Jessica managed to make a leash out of the vines. He walked with them for about one kilometre, but then he was too tired to continue.

Andre used a white bag used for the sugar cane to make a type of a haversack to carry the dog, until Tyrone’s wife, Betty, met them on route and they took the dog to their friend, Dr Kevin Stevens at the Ballito Veterinary Hospital.

The dog was covered in sores, scrapes and ticks and had a cough.

Dr Stevens said the dog was about four years old and that it is not known how long he had been on the cliff. Tyrone took him home and together with his wife, has been nursing him back to health.

“He eats all the time and still he will go look in the rubbish bins for more food. He has already picked up about two kilograms in the two weeks we have had him, but he is still just skin and bones. He is well behaved and I imagine he had some sort of training once, because he walks right by my side and does not run away.

“He has the most wonderful nature and he is showing a little more personality every day. We have called him Hunter for now and will keep him until he is strong and healthy enough to be rehomed.”

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