Officer Saves Frenchie in Daring Cliffside Rescue

By Amy Fernandez

French Bulldogs made more news around here last Tuesday morning, and this time it had nothing to do with dog theft or other unsavory business. This was a total feel-good story, although it kicked off as a total hair raiser.

The New Jersey Palisades, overlooking the Hudson, is popular dog walking territory. The view is lovely.  But it is situated along a steep cliff and a really big river. A thirteen-month-old Frenchie named Kipse got a real good view when he apparently decided to go for some off-lead time. The whole thing started around 5 AM when he backed out of his lead and took off. Don’t underestimate those stubby little legs. Klipse was going for a record, weaving through morning rush hour traffic; and I can say from plenty of personal experience, you never want to see a dog running around that approach to the George Washington Bridge.

Incredibly, Klipse did two miles without harm. By then, bystanders were also trying to corral him, because sooner or later…. Eventually, he reached the Palisades and put on the brakes a bit too late. As his posse watched in horror the dog tumbled off a 300-foot drop and somehow landed on a rocky ledge about 100 feet above the Hudson. Frenchies are great but not known to be the best swimmers, so it was most definitely his lucky day.

 By then, 911 calls had alerted the nearby New Jersey Port Authority Emergency Service unit.  In another incredibly lucky break, the responding team included Officer Rob Kuchie, who is their resident expert animal rescue guy. On the force for ten years, Kuchie was never officially assigned to that job. His talent for this specialized bit of rescue work earned him that designation. A few months ago, he made local news by rounding up a bull stampeding around Newark Station. The bull lived happily ever after.

Kuchie and his partner arrived at the scene, scoped out the situation and knew what to do. They rappelled down the cliff with a dog harness, secured the 35-pound Klipse and everyone was hoisted to safety. Klipse’s owner, Sergey Koltenyuk, was understandably shocked and relieved.  Dogs can really liven up your day.

Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=300941

Posted by Liz on Aug 26 2024. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.