Dog suicide bridge: Dogs jump to death off Overtoun Bridge

Dog Rescued After Becoming Stuck for Days on Kentucky River Bank2:17

A dog was rescued in Ulysses, Kentucky, on April 25, after becoming trapped on a river bank for a number of days, according to a man who helped rescue the animal. Footage of the rescue was posted to Facebook by Darrell Perkins, who told Storyful that the dog, named Ginger, had been missing for a number of days before he was heard her howling from a nearby river. Perkins said he called a dog warden from Lawrence County, who can be seen rescuing the dog. Ginger was transported to an animal hospital and was doing well, Perkins said. Credit: Darrell Perkins via Storyful

Overtoun Bridge in Scotland has seen more than 50 dogs jump to their deaths, and nobody can figure out why. Picture: SuppliedSource:ThinkStock

DON’T take Fido for a walk here.

Residents of West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, love strolling over Overtoun Bridge, a picturesque 19th-century structure.

But dog owners steer clear because it’s developed a reputation as a doggie suicide bridge.

Fifty pooches have leapt off the 50-foot bridge since the 1950s — and no one’s sure why, according to Vice UK.

Overtoun Bridge in Scotland has dog owners spooked and experts stumped after at least 50 dogs have committed ‘suicide’ from it since the 1950s. Picture: Supplied

Overtoun Bridge in Scotland has dog owners spooked and experts stumped after at least 50 dogs have committed ‘suicide’ from it since the 1950s. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied

TheDaily Mailreported in 2006 that five dogs jumped to their deaths in six months alone a year before.

Some 600 more dogs are said to have flung themselves off the bridge from the same exact spot and survived — after which some of them get back up and try to jump all over again.

Local Donna Cooper lost her collie, Ben, in 2005 to the deadly bridge.

She tells theDaily Mail, “His paw was broken, his jaw was broken and his back was broken and badly twisted. The vet decided it wasn’t worth putting him through the pain, so we had to let him go.”

Some believe that the bridge and Overtoun House, a former estate, are haunted. (“In Scotland, everything old and Scottish is said to be haunted,” Vice UK writes.)

While there are theories about what is leading the dogs to jump to their deaths, there’s no definitive answer for the bizarre phenomenon. Picture: Supplied

While there are theories about what is leading the dogs to jump to their deaths, there’s no definitive answer for the bizarre phenomenon. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied

Another theory goes that the pups are being lured over the edge by animals hiding beneath the bridge, such as squirrels, mice and minks, which give off enticing scents to the pups.

Long-nosed breeds, such as German shepherds and scottish terriers, seem to be the most affected, Vice UKreports.

The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has investigated the bizarre phenomenon. But it hasn’t figured out what’s happening — and until it does, local dog owners aren’t taking any chances.

“They need to put up a fence or something, they really do,” dog owner Jenna tells Vice UK.

This article originally appeared on the New York Postand has been republished with permission.