A two-year-old dog has been rescued by the SPCA after being stuck down a ravine in Porirua for three weeks.
The pit bull, Storm, was in such a bad way when he was found, SPCA officers thought he was elderly - but turned out he was severely malnourished.
A woman walking her dog nearby on Thursday afternoon heard his barking from the ravine.
The SPCA said when she tried to leave the area her dog insisted something was wrong, leading her to investigate. She then called the SPCA, which rushed to the valley to save him.
They're not sure how Storm got down there, but he had suffered injuries - including blindness - as a result.
"He was just lovely, he never showed any sign of aggression, even fear aggression [when he was rescued]," SPCA animal welfare officer Gina Kemp said.
"We decided to carry him out just because of his eyes, and how frightened he was."
Storm is microchipped, making it easy for the SPCA to find his owners.
"They thought the worst," said Ms Kemp. "For a dog to go missing for three weeks and not turn up at a shelter or anywhere they thought he had been hit by car, or stolen."
Storm is now undergoing vet care and is in good spirits. He weighs 10kg less then he should though, and will remain in care for a few more days before being reunited with his owners.
Newshub.
