A PUPPY that survived a 140 foot fall has been described by vets as the luckiest dog they have ever met.

The nine-month-old terrier came away with just a couple of minor cuts after it fell into a dis-used mine shaft near St Day.

Pauline Edwards, the practice manager at Redruth's Veterinary Centre, said they had never seen a dog that had fallen that far and survived.

She could think of no explanation for its lucky escape unless the dog had landed on a load of mattresses.

"It is absolutely miraculous, to fall 140 feet is quite something, we were very surprised when we were told it had fallen that far," she said.

The puppy's owner, Rachel Gill, who lives in St Day, was out walking Poppy as usual at Pink Wells when the terrier ran off after a group of rabbits.

She told the Packet how everything suddenly went silent and although she immediately guessed what had happened she stayed out looking for Poppy for over an hour. Upon giving up the search her mother, Marie, phoned the fire brigade.

The firefighters went down to a ledge at 50 feet before calling off the search to deal with another call, believing the dog had no chance of being alive if it had fallen any further.

The next day the Cornish Mine rescue team decided to try and help Miss Gill after they were telephoned about the incident.

The team arrived at 10.30am, a day and a half after Poppy had disappeared, and found her 140 feet down the mine with only a few minor cuts.

Miss Gill said: "The rescue team were brilliant, but Poppy seems to have taken it all in her stride."

To cap off the amazing week Poppy came first at Stithians Country Fair in the terrier class' dog agility section.

"She should be called Lucky really," said Miss Gill.