Elbie the Jack Russell terrier is found perched on a tiny ledge 13-storeys in the air following frantic search when she went missing two days ago

By ASHLEY NICKEL, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 15:11, 27 April 2026 | Updated: 15:11, 27 April 2026 Firefighters performed a daring rescue on the 13th floor of an apartment building after a missing dog was spotted wedged on its exterior. Elbie, a two-year-old Jack Russell, went missing on Anzac Day after weaving through potted plants and a narrow gap to escape her caged balcony on the 13th floor of  Meriton apartments in Dee Why, north Sydney. Her owners, the Dobrin family, shared several missing dog posters to an online community group after turning their apartment upside-down in a desperate search for the pup. 'We started thinking the worst possible thing, maybe she fell off the balcony,' family friend James Tomac told 9News. A neighbour flying a drone outside the building spotted Elbie shortly after 1pm on Monday. The dog was stuck between a window and awning on the opposite side of the high-rise building to her apartment. The discovery prompted a large rescue effort with Fire and Rescue firefighter Joel Spillane tasked with abseiling down the building to where Elbie was lodged. A crowd gathered below held their breath as Mr Spillane attached a lead to Elbie and secured a tarpaulin underneath the edge, in case she fell. Elbie (above) spent two days trapped on the exterior of a Sydney high-rise apartment after escaping her caged balcony Elbie was in good spirits after her rescue and was reunited with her relieved family Firefighters successfully rescued Elbie (above) after a drone operator saw her trapped in an awning Firefighters abseiled down the building (above) to rescue the two-year-old Jack Russell However, the anxiety was lost on Elbie - who just seemed happy to see her rescuers. Mr Spillane spent 20 minutes wiggling Elbie out from the awning before she was finally freed. 'We got him inside, he's drunk heaps of water, they gave him a shower and I'm sure he'll be off to the vet, back tomorrow,' he said. 'We're not sure how long he was there, they mentioned a day or so but we're not sure.' Elbie's owner was relieved to see her returned in good spirits after spending two days without food or water. 'I was over the moon you know, I didn't know if I was going to see her again so, very happy,' owner Jake Dobrin said. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.