Chesterfield woman's relief as miraculous pet dog survives 100-ft North Yorkshire cliff fall

A pet dog is recovering with his Chesterfield owner after ‘miraculously’ surviving a 100-ft cliff fall onto a North Yorkshire beach.
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Frank, a terrier-type dog, was walking along the Cleveland Way, near Lucy’s Beach Shack, in Cayton Bay, with his owner Stewart Wragg, 63, when it is believed that he may have picked up the scent of a rabbit and took off.

Stewart, who was on holiday with his former partner Alison, 49, from Chesterfield went to look for him and was shocked when he realised five-year-old Frank had tumbled down towards a rocky outcrop on the beach.

Chesterfield dog Frank and the cliff he fell down in Cayton Bay, North Yorkshire. Image: RSPCAChesterfield dog Frank and the cliff he fell down in Cayton Bay, North Yorkshire. Image: RSPCA
Chesterfield dog Frank and the cliff he fell down in Cayton Bay, North Yorkshire. Image: RSPCA
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Although he suffered a broken leg, Frank is expected to make a full recovery from his ordeal and is enjoying some TLC from Alison at her home in Chesterfield.

“He had an operation by our vet and I am so pleased he is doing really well in himself,” she said. “He had a splint on until the operation was carried out on Tuesday and was able to hobble in the garden to do his business up until then.

“Frank is eating well and being his normal happy self, you really wouldn’t know he had been put through such an ordeal.

“He was walking on the clifftop with Stewart, who is walking the Cleveland Way, when we think he went off investigating.

Frank is expected to make a full recovery.Frank is expected to make a full recovery.
Frank is expected to make a full recovery.
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"Like most dogs he does like burrows and fox holes so we wonder if he caught the scent of something then in his over excitement went off too far.”

Fortunately, Chris Gorman was walking along the beach and came across Frank who was whimpering and he thought he had run away from his owner on the beach and slipped on some rocks.

He could see the pet appeared to have a broken leg and so called the RSPCA and then carried Frank along the rocks to the beach as the tide was coming in.

Chris, 33, from Scarbrough, said: “It was lucky I was down there really as I was on the rocks looking for fishing spots and it is not normally a place where people walk."

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RSPCA animal rescuer, inspector Claire Little, arrived at the scene and after treatment at a nearby vets, where Frank was found to have a broken bone on the front of his leg, Frank was reunited with Stewart.

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