Serial canine climber comes cropper in tree

Dargaville's canine tree climber Tippi is looking sheepish after her latest adventure. Photo / Supplied

Normally it's cats that need rescuing from trees. Not in Northland.

Tippi the dog climbed 5 metres up a tree and needed to be rescued by volunteer firefighters.

The 11-year-old canine tree climber clawed her way up a tree in a shelterbelt on State Highway 12 near Arapohue about 11.30am on Sunday, her hunting instincts leaving her stranded and perched on a branch.

Owner Robyn Martinovich said it was too high for her to climb as she had just been released from hospital and her husband was away working. "I didn't have any other options so I rang 111. It was really embarrassing telling the operator I had a dog stuck in a tree."

After confirming yes it was a dog stuck in a tree the volunteer firefighters from Dargaville were alerted.

"The firemen all turned up smiling and were really awesome. I don't think they get to many callouts like that."

On arrival a ladder was extended into the branches with one firefighter climbing high. He was able to tuck the tan-and-white coloured Jack Russell cross under his arm and safely deliver her to the ground again.

Ms Martinovich said they had collected Tippi from the SPCA when she was a pup and she was a hilarious little creature. She suspected Tippi had been hunting for birds when she got stuck.

Tippi has history for tree climbing. Last year she also ascended a tree. Ms Martinovich said on that occasion she was able to climb the tree herself and reach Tippi but then found herself stuck and had to wait in the branches for about 20 minutes until her husband returned home and the duo could both be rescued.

She said tree climbing wasn't something she could stop her dog from doing.

"Hopefully if it happens again I'll be in a state to rescue her."

It's not the first animal rescue the Dargaville firefighters have been called to recently. Last month a kitten was rescued from a stormwater pipe by two Dargaville firefighters who shimmied their way through about 4m of mud to get to her. Read the story here.

Dargaville Volunteer Fire Brigade senior firefighter Penny Searle said a crew responded to the recent distress call on Bayly St. Luckily a service hole was located about 4m from where the cat was stuck and two firefighters clambered down the service hole.