Beagle gets stuck on steep, snowy Utah cliff

A dog in Utah took quite the journey, and if she could talk, she'd have quite the story to tell. Somehow the beagle became stranded on the side of a cliff and getting her off from her high perch proved to be nearly impossible.

In all his years as a volunteer with the Utah County Search and Rescue, Shaun Roundy has seen a lot of people get themselves into a tight spot.

"That's one of the things that makes search and rescue so rewarding is when you're on the way up the mountain to find somebody or when someone's injured and you're bringing them down, you just kind of realize...sometimes you get it from their perspective what a relief that is," Roundy said.

So when a fellow teammate heard that a neighbor's dog was stuck on a cliff, he was happy to help. With his action camera rolling, you can see the challenges the rescuers faced, climbing on icy rocks before finally reaching the dog.

"We assumed it would be like all the other dog rescues. You get up, you load down to the cliff and that animal is happy to see somebody...especially after spending the coldest night of the year alone on the cliff there," Roundy said.

But the beagle named Mary wasn't as happy to see them as they thought, so they tried a trick having the dog's owner talk to her on a walkie talkie.

"We would have them talk over the radio and have them call to the dog and see if it would come. It seemed to respond a little bit. I almost wanted to come," Roundy said.

As darkness set in, Roundy almost was able to rescue Mary.

"I realized that if I got any closer to that dog, once I tried to grab his collar it wouldn't get near me...and I was afraid it was going to jump right off the edge of the cliff. It's feet were just right there at the edge. And I thought let's not. Let's have a better chance coming back tomorrow," Roundy said.

So they left her with some supplies to get through the night.

"We gave it a pack of jerky. We gave it a big can of sardines, granola bar...and we left a bag there with a couple hand warmers inside so it would have a little warmer place to sit. And then it was 10 degrees warmer that night...so...if it survived the first night, I'm sure it was okay the second," Roundy said.

But before they could return, Mary had somehow figured out a way to get home.

"You know, it was cut up a little bit, but it's back. It sounds like nothing is serious and I'm sure the owners are happy to see it," Roundy said.

It's still a mystery how the beagle got on the cliff. She was checked out at a local vet's office and will be OK.