Rooftop rescue: Morris Township firefighters retrieve dogs from roof
Two dogs are recovering at the Washington Area Humane Society after firefighters rescued them from a rooftop in Morris Township over the weekend.
Kelly Proudfit, the humane society’s executive director, said the pug mixes have been named Kris and Kringle, and the organization is hoping they will be claimed by their owner.
“It seems like maybe they had been abandoned for some time,” Proudfit said.
The Morris Township Fire Department was called at about 11 a.m. Saturday to 5057 Prosperity Pike after a hunter spotted the dogs on the roof, according to Chief Dave Dietrich.
“It looked like they had been there at least three or four days,” Dietrich said.
Dietrich described the house as abandoned. He was not completely sure how the dogs ended up on the roof, but suggested they had chased something into the house and found an opening on the second floor.
“Once they got out there on the roof, they couldn’t figure out how to get back in,” Dietrich said.
Firefighters had to clear out brush and trees to make their way to the porch and set up ladders to retrieve the dogs. Dietrich said the dogs were shy, but friendly. State police transferred the dogs to the humane society.
The rescue was not an ordinary one for the fire department.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had to pull dogs off of a roof,” Dietrich said.
According to Proudfit, the dogs had ticks and scars, but no major medical issues.
As of Monday, no one had called to claim the dogs, and Proudfit thinks it is unlikely anyone will.
“We’ve had 28 animals returned to owners this year. That’s a very small percentage of what we’re in-taking,” Proudfit said, adding that less than 5% of animals are claimed by their owners.
Kris and Kringle are currently on a medical hold and not yet available for adoption.