A dog has defied death after plunging off a 20m (65ft) cliff – and survived unharmed.
Two-year-old cocker spaniel Rowan tumbled over the edge of the rock face while chasing a bird on a family walk.
Owner Claire Booth and husband Laurence and their three kids were on a stroll in Cheltenham, Gloucester.
The walk turned to horror when the speedy pup chased the bird straight off the edge of the 20-metre-high cliff.
Rowan’s family rushed him straight to their vets, Dragon Vets in Cheltenham, for treatment.
They were amazed to find he had only suffered scrapes and bruises – escaping the ordeal without a single broken bone.
Claire said: “He’s so quick when he’s off the lead, but he’s usually just at fields near our home.
“He shot off after this bird and despite us calling him back, he somersaulted right off the cliff edge.
”I was so shocked. One second he was there, and the next he was gone.
“We don’t really go there so I didn’t know how far he could have fallen and thought that may be it.”
Initially, Rowan had landed on a ledge seven or eight metres down the cliff, and initially only seemed shock.
However, the family were unable to reach him and when Laurence ran to get to the bottom of the cliff, Rowan panicked and slipped off.
Claire continued: “He fell all the way down and landed with a thud, which was horrible.
“You obviously think the worst and the kids were naturally really upset. Laurence could see his breathing was very shallow and we needed help fast, so we phoned the vets who said to get him there as soon as possible.”
Despite the horror fall Rowan was in remarkable condition.
Veterinary surgeon Ruth Carroll said: “Thankfully, the family did the right thing and got him to us quickly.
“When we heard the height he had fallen from, we thought there could be some serious injuries. We immediately started doing tests and taking multiple X-rays to look for any damage.
“But he had somehow escaped with no broken bones and had just a few cuts and bruises. He really was incredibly lucky.”
Not only was Rowan’s survival a miracle, the family were shocked to find they could pick their pet up the very next day.
Claire added: “When we went to get him, he came out happily wagging his tail, which was so unexpected.
“He was a bit subdued for a day but the next day he was running around as if nothing had happened. You’d never have known he’d fallen off a cliff.
“Dragon Vets were brilliant, explaining everything they were doing, and we’re just so grateful it somehow all turned out well.”
