Sable, a young German Shorthaired Pointer, was on a late-afternoon adventure at his local quarry on Sunday, when he first saw it. A dassie. All instincts said ‘chase!’
Cape Town, South Africa (24 March 2026) – And chase he did, all the way up 20 metres of cliff-side. There he realised that dassies are flipping fast, and that getting up was the easy part. Getting back down, on the other hand, was a different story altogether.
“A late-afternoon adventure at Hillcrest Estate quarry turned into an unexpected rescue mission on Saturday evening after a young German Shorthaired Pointer, Sable, took his enthusiasm for dassie-chasing a little too far.” shares the Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR). “The adventurous two-and-a-half-year-old had managed to scramble roughly 20 metres up an 80-metre cliff face, only to discover that climbing up is often easier than coming down. “ the WSAR shared.
That’s when his owner, who had been out searching for him, spotted him.
“His owner went searching and eventually found him perched on a small ledge, looking decidedly stuck and clearly feeling a bit sorry for himself.”
When Sable’s owner realised he wasn’t able to bring his dog back down from the cliff safely, he called on the city’s responders, hoping they could help.
They showed up in full force. City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service were joined by the WSAR’s technical teams and operators from the K9 Search and Rescue Association of South Africa.
“Rescuers established a technical rope system and carefully lowered a K9 Search and Rescue Association of South Africa operator to the stranded pup, followed closely by a Fire and Rescue specialist.”
Reaching Sable was easy. Winning his trust was a different story. That was, until somebody broke out the droëwors…
“After a short round of diplomatic negotiations, involving the strategic deployment of some premium WOOLWORTHS droëwors, the young adventurer was convinced that the rescuers were indeed there to help.”
Won over with snacks, Sable was safely secured in a harness and tethered to his rescuer who was gently lowered down the cliff.
Just after midnight, Sable was back with his family.
“We’re happy to share that after his adventure, Sable is now well-rested, spending plenty of quality time with his family, and enjoying long hours on his favourite couch. His mom and dad report that he has not been back to the quarry, favouring fetch over dassie-chasing.” the WSAR concluded.
Once the WSAR had shared the story of the rescue online, Sable’s parents, Nicole and Marais, expressed gratitude for our local heroes who value every life – two feet or four paws – just the same.
“Thank you so much to the incredible team at Wilderness Search and Rescue, City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue, and everyone involved in bringing Sable safely home” they wrote. “We are beyond grateful for the time, effort, and care that went into this rescue. What started as a very scary situation for us ended in the happiest reunion, all thanks to your professionalism, teamwork, and kindness. You all did such an amazing job that we were honestly starting to think Sable might just go home with you instead of us! The way he trusted you and cooperated says everything about how well you handled the situation.”
One thing that always makes us so proud, is the care and compassion that South Africans share for animals!
“Sable means the world to our family, and we will never forget what you did for him (and for us). The patience, skill, and even the droëwors diplomacy will always make this story unforgettable.
From the bottom of our hearts — thank you for keeping our boy safe and getting him back home where he belongs.” shared Sable’s mom and dad.
If you’d like to show your support to the WSAR – a network of government agencies, and civilian volunteer organisations who partner in search and rescue – follow this link.
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