When it comes to adrenaline-rushing activities like rock climbing, skydiving, and bungee jumping, I feel like people are either all for it or completely petrified. It seems like there’s no in-between. Although I’d say I personally fit into the latter category, in a way, I still like the idea of these activities. However, I don’t think I’d ever have the courage to partake in them.
I’ll leave daring activities like these up to 38-year-old Bruno Valente and his 6-year-old border collie, Kazuza. The dog-and-owner duo recently jumped off an approximate 2,000-foot cliff together in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland! While they were accompanied by a parachute for a safe landing, it’s pretty paw-some that the dog, especially, was brave enough to participate. He totally loved it!
But this particular BASE jump was nothing too challenging for the pup. Over his lifetime, he has completed 40.
“Kazuza has done many jumps, he’s the luckiest dog in the world. He’s very well trained and has a lot of trust in Bruno,” said 33-year-old filmmaker, Jokke Sommer, who’s a friend of Valente. “The moment when he sees all parachutes, he makes a lot of noise and looks really excited. But he has fears too, of course.”
Although most animals would probably be frightened by heights, Sommer noticed that Kazuza seems to be ignited when he’s several feet up in the air.
“You can see when he’s looking over the edge he’s thinking: ‘This one is huge’! You can see that he’s reacting to it [the height] — but he’s not fighting against it.”
So, where did the idea of including the border collie into the activity even start? Kazuza’s owner has an understandable explanation.
“The only time I didn’t spend with [Kazuza] at the beginning was when I started to BASE jump,” Valente informed. “A bunch of times I couldn’t jump as I had nobody to take care of him, so that’s when the idea came.”
But of course, it wasn’t a decision he just flew with. His primary concern was ensuring his furry pal would be safe and secure.
“I found a harness – super safe – and I tried to see his reaction when I put it on and went to the ledge. He seemed pretty comfortable,” he said.
With the right precautions and as long as they’re not terrified, I think it’s great to include pets in activities like these! If we can enjoy these activities, animals can too.
Check out one of Kazuza’s BASE jumps below.
