Jogger spots dog trapped under rocks at SF's Ocean Beach

SAN FRANCISCO - A jogger at San Francisco's Ocean Beach helped save a dog who was trapped under some large rocks.

Over a week ago, the jogger was running along the beach when he heard muffled barking from a dog in distress and decided to stop.

"He started looking in all the crevices and he saw the dog looking right up at him," said San Francisco Animal Care and Control Officer Carlos Ortega.

The pup was in a place that normally wouldn't have been seen by people walking by.

Ortega said he recieved a call about the buried dog from dispatch and responded to the scene.

Once he got to the beach, the first obstacle was finding the dog who was buried under tons of stone.

Ortega was able to pinpoint the dog's location with the help of a photo sent by the jogger.

The next challenge was freeing the dog from the tiny space.

At first Ortega tried to use a stick to lever a boulder off, but with a tide coming in and time running out, he resorted to brute strength.

"I just used my hands. I bent down and I was able to lift it (boulder) just enough to where I was able to push it off, and push it down the cliff and there she was. Terrified and not moving," said Ortega.

The officer said he slowy picked the pup up.

"I just wanted to be sure her back legs were functioning and that she wasn't injured anywhere. I just gently put her on the rocks and she stood up," Ortega said. "The first thing she did was come up and give me a lick. She gave me a nice big kiss on the beard."

The Springer Spaniel, named Gwen, was scared, but unharmed.

Once Ortega got the dog to his truck, he was able to scan her microchop and reunite her with her family in Noe Valley.

The family had been searching for her since she disappeared on the beach.