[Cherie]

A dog thought to have run off a cliff on a Co Donegal island has been found more than two weeks after she disappeared, standing on a narrow ledge halfway down the cliff face, having apparently survived by drinking rain water.

Mali, a Bernese Mountain dog, had run away from her German owners near the lighthouse on Arranmore Island on August 16th last, sparking a huge search by islanders which lasted for days.

The fear was that Mali, who will turn two at the end of October, had run straight off the imposing cliffs near the lighthouse.

But in what has been described as a miracle rescue, she was spotted halfway down the cliffs on Saturday night by a group out fishing.

Dramatic video shows locals managing to walk the dog back to safety from the cliff face.

Mali’s owner, Sarah Recinos Ralda, who livers in Trier in Germany, said her dog’s discovery and rescue after more than two weeks was “mind boggling”.

“We are overwhelmed,” Sarah said. “We are stunned. I had already kind of let her go. I just thought that if she had gone over the cliff, if she was dead, I hoped that it had been quick and that she hadn’t suffered.”

Sarah, who has been spending the summer in Ireland with her husband and their two children, said the period following Mali’s disappearance had been “emotional” and “pretty heavy”.

In regular messages to the community on Facebook as the search continued, she outlined the different efforts to locate Mali and by August 22nd had concluded that three scenarios were likely: lost on the island, which she described as “very unlikely”; that Mali had fallen into the sea; or that she was stuck on a ledge, adding, “not all cliff was searched so maybe there’s a chance. No barking was ever heard but with that weather … who knows”.

On Saturday night, she initially cancelled the call to tell her Mali had been found as she was in a noisy pub in nearby Kincasslagh, before going outside to take the call, describing the situation as “mind boggling”.

On Facebook she later wrote: “She’s been found and saved from below the lighthouse by a group of amazing people. She’s not dehydrated, pretty alert, has lost a little bit of weight and overall just acts veeerryyy hungry. We still can’t believe it and are overwhelmed."

The man who alerted the authorities to Mali on the cliff was John Paul Baska, who also shot the footage of the dramatic rescue.

John Paul, who owns North West Charters, based in nearby Burtonport, spotted the dog while out fishing near the lighthouse on Arranmore on Saturday evening and then following the rescue, reunited Mali with its owner on the pier at the other side of the island.

I was out fishing, we were out past the lighthouse and one of the lads [on the boat] said ‘I think I can hear a dog barking’,” John Paul said. "I thought he was joking.”

John Paul had already taken part in the extensive search effort for Mali in the days after the dog’s disappearance.

On finally spotting her on the cliff face he called Glenn Head Coast Guard station, who then contacted the lifeboat.

John Paul then directed the crew to the area and filmed the rescue.

He said Mali was first spotted at around 7.30pm and the rescue took place just 20 minutes later. He then made himself available to carry Mali around the island to the pier, where Mali was reunited with Sarah at around 9.15pm on Saturday.

John Paul said Mali’s lead had been trapped on the cliff face, which may have prevented her from climbing to safety but which may also have prevented her from falling further. The narrow ledge did have an area of cover and both

John Paul and Sarah said they thought pools of rain water on the ledge meant the dog was able to stave off dehydration.

Asked if there were tears when the dog was reunited with her owner John Paul said: “There was, and there was a lot of locals down as well to see the dog.”

As for Mali, he said she was in “great form”.

Sarah and her family are due to return home in two weeks and she said Mali was “fine” despite her ordeal, with no fever and a hearty appetite that they were now trying to properly manage after her going so long without food.

Sarah said the past few days were the first days of fine weather in the area for weeks and that this likely increased the chances of Mali finally being spotted.

“She was so happy to be rescued,” Sarah said.

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/...akew7MUe3xmPmA

[AnnieK]

Aw

[rusticgal]

That’s so lovely….

[Cherie]

Mali the miracle dog reunited with schoolgirls who spotted her on cliff-edge

A miracle dog who survived on a Donegal island cliff-edge for two weeks living on just pools of rainwater has been reunited with the two sisters who helped find him.

Mali, a Bernese Mountain dog, ran off from its owners on Arranmore Island on August 16th last after she spooked by high winds.

Despite a massive search by her German owners and by islanders there was no sign of the beloved pet.

However, a pleasure fishing boat in the area happened to spot the dog perched on the 200-foot cliff on Saturday night last.

A rescue mission swung into operation which saw Mali rescued and reunited with its owner, Sara Recinos Ralda and her family on the mainland at Burtonport a couple of hours later.

It turned out that Mali's lead had become snarled on the cliff and she couldn't make it back to her owners who were searching desperately for her.

Now the two sisters who helped spot Mali on the cliff have been reunited with their new best friend.

Sisters Aoibheann and Róisín Ní Leathlobhair are pupils at Scoil an Aingil Choimhéadaí, a small gaeltacht school in Keadue, Burtonport.

It was Róisín who first thought she heard barking while she was on board the North West Charter fishing boat along with dad Padraig Lawlor on Saturday evening.

Michael Boyle, another man on the boat , also thought he heard a dog barking and when they turned off their engine's the soon spotted Mali.

As a thank you to the girls, Mali's owner Sara kindly agreed to bring the wonder dog to the girls' school earlier on Monday.

Principal of the school, Anne Marie Uí Icí, said there was huge excitement when Mali arrived.

She said "It was such a beautiful moment and all the children were delighted to see Mali.

"It's such a wonderful story and I have followed it with interest since Mali went missing on Arranmore in the middle of August.

"She's a beautiful dog and it is such a lovely story with a happy ending and we could certainly do with that at the moment," she said.

Mali happily posed for pictures with her new friends.

Despite losing some weight and being a little bit disorientated after her ordeal, Mali is back in great form and looking forward to her next adventure.

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/...e-1667821.html

[jet]

Awww, what a lovely story.

[Livia]

What a lovely story.

[Ammi]

…..…Mali the miracle dog…thank the Lord for the rain of Donegal……

[arista]

Ignoring
the Good News Thread?

[Mystic Mock]

Well there's finally some good news.

[Kate!]

Aww, this has brought tears to my eyes.

God bless, what a wonderful and lovely outcome.

[Niamh.]

awwww what a fantastic story

[Kazanne]

Originally Posted by Cherie

A dog thought to have run off a cliff on a Co Donegal island has been found more than two weeks after she disappeared, standing on a narrow ledge halfway down the cliff face, having apparently survived by drinking rain water.

Mali, a Bernese Mountain dog, had run away from her German owners near the lighthouse on Arranmore Island on August 16th last, sparking a huge search by islanders which lasted for days.

The fear was that Mali, who will turn two at the end of October, had run straight off the imposing cliffs near the lighthouse.

But in what has been described as a miracle rescue, she was spotted halfway down the cliffs on Saturday night by a group out fishing.

Dramatic video shows locals managing to walk the dog back to safety from the cliff face.

Mali’s owner, Sarah Recinos Ralda, who livers in Trier in Germany, said her dog’s discovery and rescue after more than two weeks was “mind boggling”.

“We are overwhelmed,” Sarah said. “We are stunned. I had already kind of let her go. I just thought that if she had gone over the cliff, if she was dead, I hoped that it had been quick and that she hadn’t suffered.”

Sarah, who has been spending the summer in Ireland with her husband and their two children, said the period following Mali’s disappearance had been “emotional” and “pretty heavy”.

In regular messages to the community on Facebook as the search continued, she outlined the different efforts to locate Mali and by August 22nd had concluded that three scenarios were likely: lost on the island, which she described as “very unlikely”; that Mali had fallen into the sea; or that she was stuck on a ledge, adding, “not all cliff was searched so maybe there’s a chance. No barking was ever heard but with that weather … who knows”.

On Saturday night, she initially cancelled the call to tell her Mali had been found as she was in a noisy pub in nearby Kincasslagh, before going outside to take the call, describing the situation as “mind boggling”.

On Facebook she later wrote: “She’s been found and saved from below the lighthouse by a group of amazing people. She’s not dehydrated, pretty alert, has lost a little bit of weight and overall just acts veeerryyy hungry. We still can’t believe it and are overwhelmed."

The man who alerted the authorities to Mali on the cliff was John Paul Baska, who also shot the footage of the dramatic rescue.

John Paul, who owns North West Charters, based in nearby Burtonport, spotted the dog while out fishing near the lighthouse on Arranmore on Saturday evening and then following the rescue, reunited Mali with its owner on the pier at the other side of the island.

I was out fishing, we were out past the lighthouse and one of the lads [on the boat] said ‘I think I can hear a dog barking’,” John Paul said. "I thought he was joking.”

John Paul had already taken part in the extensive search effort for Mali in the days after the dog’s disappearance.

On finally spotting her on the cliff face he called Glenn Head Coast Guard station, who then contacted the lifeboat.

John Paul then directed the crew to the area and filmed the rescue.

He said Mali was first spotted at around 7.30pm and the rescue took place just 20 minutes later. He then made himself available to carry Mali around the island to the pier, where Mali was reunited with Sarah at around 9.15pm on Saturday.

John Paul said Mali’s lead had been trapped on the cliff face, which may have prevented her from climbing to safety but which may also have prevented her from falling further. The narrow ledge did have an area of cover and both

John Paul and Sarah said they thought pools of rain water on the ledge meant the dog was able to stave off dehydration.

Asked if there were tears when the dog was reunited with her owner John Paul said: “There was, and there was a lot of locals down as well to see the dog.”

As for Mali, he said she was in “great form”.

Sarah and her family are due to return home in two weeks and she said Mali was “fine” despite her ordeal, with no fever and a hearty appetite that they were now trying to properly manage after her going so long without food.

Sarah said the past few days were the first days of fine weather in the area for weeks and that this likely increased the chances of Mali finally being spotted.

“She was so happy to be rescued,” Sarah said.

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/...akew7MUe3xmPmA

Glad that story ended well Cherie .

[Crimson Dynamo]

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by arista

Ignoring
the Good News Thread?

This is better than good news

[Niamh.]

Gorgeous doggie too

[Beso]

I know it's good news that the dog survived, but I cant help but think the pain and suffering it had to endure for 2 weeks.

At least its safe now, and the story was a cliffhanger in more ways than one.

[bots]

luck of the irish?