‘I thought he was gone forever’: Senior dog rescued after sliding down icy cliff

GILES COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ/Gray News) – A senior dog in Virginia is happy and healthy back at home after he went on an icy adventure Wednesday in a rescue that took all hands on deck to get him back.

Giles County Animal Control is a two-man team: Chief Bill Ahern and Officer Jacob Taylor. The two said they have seen it all while on the job.

“For us, a normal call is an oddity. There’s always something crazy about every call,” Ahern said.

The call they received on Wednesday also took a crazy turn.

“I walked into dispatch and they had said that a dog went over the cliff,” Ahern said.

Taylor said they often learn that what actually happened is different from what callers said on the phone.

“This one was not. It was exactly that,” Ahern said.

However, in this call, Ahern and Taylor were told that a 16-year-old lab mix named Oakley got outside his home, lost his footing on ice and slid backward down a cliff.

“I stepped out and I realized immediately how slick it truly was,” Taylor said. “There was not many footprints in the yard, which made it extremely dangerous and slippery the whole entire way.”

The two then called for help. Drone pilot John Butler with Giles County Emergency Services could not find Oakley, but he did spot the first clue.

“He was able to see all the way down at the base of the cliff; he was able to see some dog tracks. And so we figured, at least we hoped, that it was our dog and not a coyote or something,” Ahern said.

Because of all the ice, another call for help went out, this time to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). A road grader came out and made a path down the road, gaining access to the railroad tracks and allowing Norfolk Southern Railway to scout the area.

“Right before they actually entered the tracks, they saw the dog down there and were able to call it and get him into the truck,” Ahern said. “And we just couldn’t believe when they said, ‘He’s OK, and we’re coming home with him.’”

Different groups came together for the one cause of rescuing Oakley.

“For agencies like VDOT who are really busy, obviously, with what’s going on with the storm, to stop what they’re doing, and Norfolk and Southern, same thing. We’ve worked with them before. They’re great to work with,” Ahern said. “We’re just lucky to have people that care enough to stop what they’re doing and come and help for a dog.”

Oakley was uninjured in the fall and is now back home.

His owner made a statement thanking Ahern, Taylor and all of the other people who helped rescue their beloved dog.

“Words cannot express how grateful I am to this entire team of amazing people,” the owner said. “I was helpless, watching my dog slide and having no way to reach him. I thought he was gone forever. They fought so hard to bring my baby home. Their dedication and commitment is unmatched. They put it all on the line and went above what a job description would list as their responsibilities and duties. I would like to thank them again from the bottom of my heart.”