RNLI volunteers reuniting the dog with its owners.

The team battled against challenging sea conditions.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is reminding dog owners not to put their own lives in danger should their animals get into difficulty.

It comes after the charity saved a dog that had fallen from a cliff in Devon. After being spooked by another dog during a walk, the dog slipped its collar from the coast path and fell onto the inaccessible rocks below.

A shore-based Coast Guard Rescue Team quickly attended the scene. After consultation with volunteers from the Ilfracombe RNLI lifeboat crew, they agreed that the most effective plan would be to launch the charity’s D-class inshore lifeboat.

Battling against challenging sea conditions, the crew manoeuvred the boat as close as possible to the rocks before a crew member carefully swam to the rescue of the stranded dog.

The pair were safely hauled back onto the lifeboat and taken the short distance to be reunited with the dog’s very thankful owner.

RNLI Helm, Stuart Carpenter, said: ‘The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. We’ll always launch to animals in difficulty if it means the owners avoid putting themselves in danger.

‘Our advice is, if you see someone else or your pet in difficulty, don’t put yourself in danger by attempting a rescue. Instead, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

‘We were pleased on this occasion to be able to successfully reunite this dog with its owner.’

The owner later sent a message to the lifeboat crew expressing their gratitude, adding: ‘We can't thank you enough for saving our beloved dog. She's fine – subdued and exhausted but not so much that she couldn't manage some toast in a restaurant.’

Image (C) RNLI/Lizzie