Westmoreland Volunteer FD Rescues Giant Dog From Ravine in Clinton

A giant floofy dog got himself stuck at the bottom of a ravine in Clinton, and volunteer firefighters had to pull him out.

Smitty Bear, a 165-pound, 12-year-old black Newfoundland dog, disappeared from his owner's home in Clinton on Sunday. His owners, Gloria and Dennis Destefanis, were obviously upset and looked for him everywhere.

On Monday morning, Dennis was walking along the perimeter of their 3.5 acre property when he saw Smitty Bear's head pop up from under two logs at the bottom of a ravine - but because Smitty is arthritic, he couldn't get out on his own, according to an interview by Syracuse.com. That's where the Westmoreland Volunteer Fire Department comes in.

Volunteers from the fire department climbed down the ravine, cut the logs away from the frightened dog, placed a rescue basket next to him - Smitty promptly climbed in and all 165 pounds of floofer was carried out of the ravine.

After a visit to the vet, and some time to relax, Smitty Bear is doing just fine. Gloria and Dennis are expressing their gratitude to the department in a Facebook post: "A special thank you to the unbelievable Westmoreland Volunteer Fire Department for saving him in the ravine!!!!"

Smitty Bear is obviously a very good boy.