Cherry picker used to rescue possum-chasing dog stuck 30 meters up tree

Archie the Jack Russell didn't let a 30-meter tree climb put him off the scent of a possum. But the 2-year-old pooch hadn't quite thought through his escape plan. Owner Louise Blair says she came home and heard the sound of Archie yelping, something not uncommon on their 35-acre Huapai property in west Auckland, New Zealand.

''We have a few dogs and they go off hunting for possums in the bush. But I heard him yelping when I got home on Wednesday,'' Blair said. ''My husband went out to look for him and found Archie stuck up a pine tree. We didn't know what to do. 'The tree was too difficult to climb and ladders couldn't reach far enough. 'I phoned the SPCA who told me to ring the emergency services.

"They said they couldn't do anything and to call animal welfare. I called Auckland Council animal control and they couldn't do anything either. All the people I talked to thought it was funny, but no-one could help.'' Blair said she started to get a little nervous because she didn't want Archie to try and jump. ''Then I had a thought to get a cherry-picker. We phoned the nearest company Prolift Access Hire.

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''They came rushing down with an enormous cherry-picker and helped us get him out of the tree. It was really neat of them.'' Blair said Archie must have been up the tree a fair while before they found him because the first thing he did when he was brought back to ground was take a very long wee. ''Archie seemed to be fine afterwards. I don't think the experience will stop him from chasing possums up trees.''