A pair of St. Bernard-cross puppies was rescued from a cliff this weekend after being stranded for days near Mission, B.C.

Resident Emma Wilfert had been listening to their cries for four days before Mission Search and Rescue workers set out in three teams Sunday to locate the animals. The dogs were found near the side of a cliff and fell into jackets outstretched by rescue workers.

“They were so excited to see us,” said volunteer Roger. “They started getting excited, moving around too much, and we just caught them in the jackets. They fell right to us.”

While dogs aren’t typical subjects of rescue missions in B.C., the team recognized that if they didn’t attempt to retrieve the dogs, someone else might. If that person then got stuck, the SAR crews would have to go out anyway, said team manager Dean Osen. “It’s always a concern for us as Search and Rescue, we want to make sure that the public is safe,” said Osen.

The two female dogs are skinny but in good shape, according to Adrian Walton of the Dewdney Animal Hospital. There are signs that they were recently being cared for, suggesting they may have been abandoned in the area by their owner.

“(Their nails) look like they’ve actually been trimmed recently,” said Walton. “Unfortunately, some people get dogs and they’re more than they were really bargaining for.”

The SPCA has been notified and says the dogs may soon be up for adoption.

“Any animal that comes in has a four-day holding period, after that they will be available for adoption,” said the SPCA’s Krista Shaw.

SPCA staff have named the dogs Duchess and Francine.

With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Jon Woodward