March 7, 2022: The Indianapolis Fire Department rescued a 17-year-old who had gotten stuck on a tree branch 35 feet off the ground. The teenager climbed the tree after noticing a cat sitting on one of the higher branches, seemingly stuck.

March 12, 2021: A Florida cat is safe and sound after spending days in a tree in Pensacola, thanks to the firefighters who rescued it on Thursday night! After three attempts, firefighters were able to use a ladder to get high enough to save the feline, WKRG reports.

September 18, 2007: Firefighters in Yonkers, New York tried a new technique for a cat stuck six stories up for a week. They used their high-pressure fire hose to blast the cat off its perch. The cat came flying down into a bed sheet stretched out by rescuers. Being a cat, it hopped off and disappeared into the woods.

So apparently, it does happen. It’s not an old joke or a Dennis the Menace cartoon; cats do get stuck and firemen save them.

But that will never happen to dogs, right?

On Oct. 13, the Superior Volunteer Fire Department (SVFD) was called out to assist two stranded dogs that had fallen over a cliff at mile marker 6 Mullan Road East.

“A German shepherd and an Aussy had perched themselves on an outcropping 40 feet above the roadway. The owners had been playing fetch with them in their yard when the tennis ball went over and down the rocky cliff,” explained Josh Pecora, Captain, with the SVFD. “The owners immediately called them back from retrieving it and put them in the house, but dogs being dogs, they figured out how to escape and made a bee-line to where the ball was last seen and fell to the ledge.”

Volunteer firefighters Scott Dodd and Kyle Zenor were the first to respond and didn’t hesitate to take the immediate action needed.

“Dodd strapped on the harness and Zenor fed the rope to him as Assistant Chief Berry utilized their equipment and high angle rope skills to descend Dodd down and rescue one dog at a time. Approaching darkness added to the challenges they faced but both dogs are home safe, for now, thanks to the Superior Fire Paw Patrol,” laughed Steve Temple, Superior Volunteer Fire Chief.

Pecora was pleased to update the progress of the Tarkio Fire Station, also.

“At the present time, we are utilizing a building of a private landowner near Round Mountain, with groundbreaking for our new building scheduled for next spring.”

The land, money and firefighting equipment have all been procured and Pecora is the caption of this new department that was voted into the SVFD early this year by the residents it encompasses.

“What we need today are more volunteer firefighters. People that live in the Tarkio area that would commit to being on call when it’s convenient for them and some annual training. We’ve kicked around an idea to have a BBQ out there inviting people to come learn more about the project, and I hope we make this happen,” he said.

But for anyone who would like to learn more about the volunteer opportunities, Pecora urged people to call the SVFD today at (406) 822-4900