San Francisco firefighters rescue dog who tumbled off cliff

A San Francisco dog survived a brush with danger Wednesday after it tumbled down a cliffside at Fort Funston in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and had to be rescued by firefighters, officials said.

After falling down the cliff while exploring the area off leash, the pooch got stuck on a ledge, said to Lt. Jonathan Baxter, a spokesman for the San Francisco Fire Department.

Firefighters dropped ropes down the cliffside and lowered a firefighter, who then secured the dog in a harness and retrieved him, Baxter said.

Dogs have gotten stranded on the cliffs near Fort Funston in the past, prompting similar rescues.

“That area is a leashless area. However, we recommend people remember that animals need to be within range for verbal commands, and people need to be responsible and keep their animals away from the cliffside,” said Baxter.

Photo: San Francisco Fire Department A dog needed to be rescued by firefighters on Wednesday.

He added that the dog’s caretaker did the right thing by refraining from trying to rescue the dog himself.

“A lot of times we will have an animal-person rescue and that’s because the companion will go down to attempt to rescue and get stuck, themselves,” he said.

The dog was not injured, and his adventure could have had a much more tragic end, said Baxter — likely a relief for the caretaker, who was dog-sitting when the accident occurred.

Filipa A. Ioannou is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: fioannou@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @obioannoukenobi