Dog that fell more than 70 feet from Santa Barbara cliff bounces back from near-fatal injuries
The dog that fell off the cliff near Santa Barbara’s Thousand Steps in July has a name, a foster mom and legs on the road to recovery.
The dog, now named Lucas, plunged more than 70 feet to the beach on July 4. He broke two of his legs and damaged his hip, and was floundering in pain when two early morning dog walkers found him and called 9-1-1. His fall was captured on a City of Santa Barbara surveillance camera near the scene.
The dog had no identification tags, and no one has ever stepped forward to claim him.
Lucas has an indomitable spirit, however, and he appears to have good days ahead.
A team of veterinarians has made the necessary surgical repairs, and he’s on a strict physical therapy regimen. Lucas also recently had his stitches and protective head cone removed.
“Lucas is definitely a true example of a dog with the will to survive and has a fighting spirit,” according to a post on the Santa Barbara County Animal Services Facebook page. “He knows he’s being given a second chance at life.
“It’s a miracle he survived his 80-foot fall down a jagged cliff, survived six hours alone and unable to move on the beach, and handled surgery like a champ.”
For now, Lucas has a temporary foster family, but once he is healed fully, the shelter will look for a permanent home and adoption.
Onalissa Hoodes, a volunteer at Dog Adoption & Welfare Group (DAWG) and a civilian employee at the Santa Barbara Police Department, has helped coordinate Lucas’ care and recovery.
“If it wasn’t for Onalissa, who was on duty when this rescue took place, we’re not sure that the right people would’ve been able to jump in and ask you, our #village, to help save his life,” according to a Facebook post.
Volunteers have donated more than $14,000 toward Lucas’ medical bills.
Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
This story was originally published August 5, 2019 at 9:28 AM.