Llŷn Peninsula: Dog that fell off cliff and was presumed dead reunited with owner

Tess, eight, a sharpei cross Yorkshire terrier, became unclipped from her lead and ran out of sight of her owners. Credit: Daily Post Wales

A dog that fell from the top of a cliff and went missing for almost 24 hours in dangerous weather conditions has been reunited with her owner.

Jodie Davis was walking her dogs Tess and Shep at Nant Gwrtheyrn on the Llŷn Peninsula on 2 January, when Tess escaped her lead.After an unsuccessful search for the eight-year-old dog, Jodie and her family returned the next day and finally found Tess, starving and shivering but with minor injuries.

Jodie was walking her dogs Shep and Tess (right), when eight-year old Tess pulled on her lead and it became unclipped. Credit: Daily Post Wales

Jodie and her friend had been throwing a plastic frisbee for the dogs at Nant Gwrtheyrn.

When the toy blew away, eight-year old Tess, a sharpei cross Yorkshire terrier, pulled on her lead in an attempt to chase after it.

She became unclipped from her lead and ran out of sight of her walkers. After frantically searching for Tess for an hour, they decided to head back home for help.

When Jodie's mum arrived home her daughter told her what had happened and the pair decided to go looking for Tess once again.

Julie Davis said: "Tess went out of sight down the mountain side at 4:30pm that day, we were all there for 5pm searching for her."

Jodie was walking her dogs at Nant Gwrtheyrn on the Llŷn Peninsula on Monday, January 2, when the incident occurred. Credit: Daily Post Wales

After searching the whole night for Tess, there was still no sign. As darkness drew in the search became even more difficult and it quickly became dangerous to continue.

Recalling the first day when the family had to abandon the search, Miss Davis said: "I was devastated, crying uncontrollably, shaking from the cold and didn’t want to leave her there. It felt like losing a child.

"My heart was breaking knowing she was out there somewhere injured in the cold weather or lying dead at the bottom of the cliff. I couldn’t sleep that night."

Eight-year old Tess is a sharpei cross Yorkshire terrier. Credit: Daily Post Wales

The following morning Miss Davis headed back to Nant Gwrtheyrn in the hope of finding Tess. However, weather conditions were poor, with fog, wind and rain disrupting their search.

Having shared a post on Facebook about the missing dog, several locals had joined in the search, including friend, Gordon Hughes, who walked seven miles in search of Tess.

As the search dragged on through the morning, it soon became clear that Tess was more than likely dead.Around midday on 3 January, a few family members who were still up the Nant searching for Tess came down with good news.

"She smothered my face with kisses and then jumped into the back seat where my sandwiches were and ate the lot in one bolt, she was starving and shivering," recalled Miss Davis.

"We found her without her harness on so are guessing she was caught in something overnight, perhaps the harness saved her life broke the fall. She has marks where the harness was like she was trapped in it somehow and managed to break free."We rushed her to the vets to get checked over luckily she was fine with only minor injuries. She had bashed her chin and has graze’s all down her legs and a few scratches.