These are the dramatic moments that coastguards carried out a 'miracle ' rescue to save a stranded puppy after it plunged 40 ft off a cliff . The six-month-old Rhodesian ridgeback , called Crouton , fell down the steep cliff while it was trying to catch a rabbit . Crouton landed a ledge which prevented the pup from a further fall of 60 ft into the raging sea below . Scroll down for video . A member of the rescue teams from Durness and Melness abseils down to rescue Crouton after the fall . Reunited with his owner , Crouton jumps for joy and has a well deserved biscuit to recover from the ordeal . Shetland coastguard teams from Durness and Melness were involved in the Highland rescue attempt . Shetland coastguard teams from Durness and Melness rushed to the incident at Durness in the north west Highlands . They were assisted by an officer from the Scottish SPCA who oversaw the rescue . After the colossal effort , the pup escaped safe and unscathed . Gordon Kerr , 54 , a prison officer from Ayrshire who saw the rescue , said : ' I was walking around Smoo Cave when I heard a dog barking loudly . 'Originally I thought it was just a farmer 's dog . As I walked a bit further I could see the coastguard were setting up - initially thinking that it was a training exercise . 'When I asked a stranger what they thought was going on , he told me that he had been out walking his dog when it bolted for a rabbit and fell 40 feet . 'It luckily managed to land on a ledge . The six-month-old Rhodesian ridgeback fell 40 ft but was fortunate to land on a ledge which saved it . Crouton , just as the pup is returned to the top of the cliff . His owner was extremely grateful the rescue team . 'It 's a miracle that the dog survived . It had been down there for about three or four hours and fell down such a severe cliff but there was n't a scratch on the wee thing . 'When the dog came back up , it started jumping around , high-fiving its owner and asking for biscuits . ' A spokesman for Melness coastguard said : 'The owner of the dog was extremely grateful for all the help provided by the Coastguard Teams and the SSPCA . The elaborate rescue involved two coastguard team and a number of cables to ensure their safety . The coast guard described the operation as a 'text book ' rope rescue and said its teams had worked well . 'It was a successful outcome with a happy ending , teams worked well together , resulting in a text book rope rescue . 'Be aware that if your dog is unfortunate enough to fall over or get stuck down a cliff , do not under any circumstances attempt a self rescue . 'Dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard , we are trained to deal with these situations . If you are walking your dog on or near to cliffs please , please , please keep it on a lead . '
Overeager puppy rescued by coastguards in the north west Highlands . A dog was found wandering around a car park at Inverurie on Saturday and taken to an animal rescue centre after being left there for several hours.