No one knows exactly how a Pit Bull mix got trapped on a thin, rocky outcrop next to a waterfall in New Jersey, but luckily a good Samaritan spotted the dog and called animal control. Shortly after, Capt. Scott Parkin arrived on the scene to save the day. The firefighter bravely rappelled from a nearby bridge down near the 80-foot-tall Great Falls in the city of Paterson to rescue the stranded dog, and he relied on his team to have his back and keep him safe, as well as the pooch. The dog acted cautiously at first but showed no signs of aggression, and he seemed to know that Parkin came to help.
After earning the pup’s trust with some food, Parkin put a net over the dog who, surprisingly, settled right in. Once the dog was secure, the firefighters on the bridge lifted him and Parkin to safety. Parkin said of the pup, “He seems like a good boy,” and, “He wasn’t aggressive, just scared.” The rescue team took the dog in stable condition to Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge in Oakland where, Mayor Andre Sayegh says, he was named Paterson after the city.
Now Paterson is all Pittie smiles at the shelter and enjoying the star treatment. His rescuers even reunited with the pup, and he seems very grateful. The vet gave Paterson a clean bill of health, and shelter workers say, “He’s an absolute love.” Once Paterson is ready, he’ll hopefully go to a loving forever home that won’t let him go chasing waterfalls again.
Authorities still have no idea how Paterson ended up on the rocks, but the whole situation seemed like history repeating itself to Parkin, who served 25 years as a firefighter. He claims that, over 50 years ago, his father performed the same type of rescue for two dogs trapped in the same area. He’s certainly thankful to the almost dozen firefighters who assisted in the rescue and kept him safe on his mission to bring Paterson out of danger.
Are you happy to see Paterson safe and sound? Also, do you think you’d be brave enough to rappel down a waterfall to save a dog? Let us know in the comments below!
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