A South Whidbey pug got more than he bargained for when he ventured a little too close to a cliff Monday morning.

South Whidbey Fire/EMS came to the rescue of Sammy, the elderly dog who stumbled over a cliffside while conducting his morning rounds.

Firefighters arrived at the scene around 7:02 a.m. on April 18 to find Sammy had wound up about 30 feet down a brushy, nearly vertical cliff overlooking the Maxwelton Beach area.

Luckily for the pug, firefighters had just attended a week-long rope rescue technician course.

“This call was a great opportunity to put those skills to the test,” Deputy Chief Terry Ney said.

Sammy was retrieved unharmed.