In the video, the injured pup’s owner can be seen reassuring him, saying ‘it’s alright mate, good lad’.
Duke was loaded onto a boat and returned safely to Whitby lifeboat station.His family were waiting to take him straight to the vet, where he was treated for a broken leg.
The Whitby RNLI station mechanic who attended the incident said: ‘Some people might find it strange that we rescue pets but due to the location of the incident it could have been dangerous for the owner to attempt carrying the dog himself.The routine of caring for a pet can bring structure and purpose to daily life. Maybe you don’t always want to get out of bed, but your pet wants you to. Isn’t that a good thing?
‘The area is quite slippy and it would have been a long walk back due to the lack of access.
‘The size of the dog meant that taking the dog back up the cliff would have been difficult as well as distressing for the animal.
‘We’d much rather see an animal be rescued quickly and safely and no one else put in danger trying to rescue them.’
If you get into trouble on the coast, you can alert the RNLI by calling 999 or 112 and asking for the coastguard.The RNLI says dogs should be kept on leads close to cliff edges or fast-flowing rivers to keep them safe.