The owner of two dogs which plunged off a cliff says ‘people learn from their mistakes’ and has praised the coastguard for helping.

Two dogs fell down a cliff face near Highlands End Holiday Park, Eype, and were rescued by the coastguard.

The first, a cocker spaniel, was found to be freely moving around the upper cliff levels whilst the second dog, a border collie, was lying injured and reluctant to move.

The owner of the dogs, who wishes to remain anonymous, says the collie is now doing well and ‘is back to his happy self.’ The dog dislocated both its front elbows and suffered bruising and soft tissue damage on both front legs after the fall.

The owner said: “We didn't know there weren’t any barriers at the top of that cliff. We are not from around that area, so we didn't know. I wish people wouldn't judge me and my family - people learn from their mistakes and we won't be doing that again.”

“The coastguards from West Bay and Lyme Regis were very helpful and understanding.”

West Bay Coastguard Rescue Team was called by Solent Coastguard NMOC (National Maritime Operations Centre) at about 4pm on September 26.

Officers were joined by team members from Lyme Regis and two senior coastal operations officers who were in the area at the time.

A roped edge safety system was put in place so an officer could safely approach the edge of the cliff and get a firm location on the dogs.

A 'cliff technician' was then lowered down the cliff face to the ‘friendly’ animals.

A spokesman for the coastguard said: “The uninjured cocker spaniel was recovered first and placed into the team’s 'Animal Rescue Bag’. Both the officer and dog were then winched back up to the top of the cliff where she was reunited with her owner. The officer was then re-deployed over the edge of the cliff to recover the collie.

He added: “Unfortunately, the collie, who had injuries to his legs, was unable to be moved without causing further pain and distress, so an emergency vet was requested to attend the scene. The officer was then recovered back to the top of the cliff pending the vet’s arrival.”

Once on scene, the vet was placed into a cliff rescue harness, given a helmet and briefed for the descent.

He was then attached to ropes with the cliff technician who took the vet down the cliff face to the injured animal.

Once with the collie, the vet was able to administer pain relief and a sedative, so the dog could safely be put into the bag without any further distress.

The coastguard has since issued a warning to dog owners, advising that you should always keep your dog on a lead on the cliffs and coastal paths.

“Some dogs, especially smaller ones, can have difficulty seeing the cliff edge,” said the spokesman.

“If the worst happens, never, ever attempt a self-rescue as you could be putting your life needlessly at risk.

“Instead dial 999 and ask for the coastguard who will send a specially-trained and equipped cliff rescue team.”