Dog Saved After Being Stuck on Cliff

A dog is safe and waiting to be picked up by its owner after a Hopatcong Animal Control officer saved the dog from falling off a cliff on Saturday, according to Hopatcong Police Lt. Thomas Kmetz.

Police are unsure of who the dog, a Cattle dog mix, belongs to as it was not found with a collar or dog tags.

According to Kmetz, officers responded to a report of a dog stuck on a cliff on Daydream Lane that was apparently howling all night. Police found the dog to be on a small ledge between 75 and 100 feet up the face of the rock. 

An officer attempted to reach the dog but was unable and called Animal Control Officer Dale Sloat to respond. When Sloat arrived, he tied rope to a tree and around his waist before climbing down the cliff to grab the dog with a noose. He was able to capture the dog, but it then got away.

The dog was found on Sunday on a dock on Pitney Road and brought to the Hopatcong Pound. Police said Friday the dog remains in the pound until the owner comes forward.

Anyone who thinks the dog may be theirs should contact Sloat at 973-398-5000.