A Sunday evening stroll turned into a heart-stopping adventure when a one-year-old Yorkshire Terrier named Stevie found himself in a perilous predicament high atop a tree limb in San Juan Bautista.
The incident unfolded on Sept. 10, when Stevie’s owners took him for a walk to the community soccer field. Stevie, a spirited Yorkie, has a penchant for tree climbing, but this time, he outdid himself, the owners said.
Typically, his escapades involve scaling to a modest height of three or four feet. However, on this day, Stevie’s adventurous spirit led him to new heights, quite literally.
In pursuit of a squirrel, Stevie ascended an overhanging tree limb, eventually reaching 25 feet from the ground.
Despite his owners’ frantic pleading, Stevie remained undeterred, perched high above. Two passing pedestrians stepped in, positioning themselves under Stevie to try to catch him should he fall off. Across the street, a quick-thinking neighbor brought a tarp, and the good samaritans assembled firmly holding each corner of the tarp, creating a makeshift safety net.
A quick call to the San Juan Bautista Fire Department brought firefighters racing to the scene. They parked their firetruck beneath the tree and extended a ladder to reach Stevie.
Firefighter Steve Cabral climbed the ladder and plucked the tree-climbing Yorkie from his perch. The onlooking crowd broke out in applause as Cabral and Stevie made their way back to solid ground. The coincidence of a firefighter named Steve saving a dog named Stevie added an unexpected touch of humor and warmth to the heroic feat.
Stevie’s owner, Bella, runs the nearby San Juan Bautista clothing store Street Urchin, where visitors can come visit the intrepid little Yorkie who lived to tell the tale.
