Fire fighters were called up the Mangawhero River on Friday morning to rescue a dog which had fallen down a cliff and become trapped on a bluff.
Whanganui Fire senior station officer Doug Bennett said the dog had fallen down a bank near Ruakawa Falls.
"I think last night the dog must've gone chasing something and fallen over the bank down by the river," Mr Bennett said.
"There was sort of no way for the owner to get down there."
Mr Bennett said it was about an 8m drop down to a bluff and there was no way to access it from the river or for the dog to climb up.