The Vancouver Fire Department has rescued its fair share of cats from trees, but Friday morning was the first call for a dog on a roof that anyone there can remember.

A crowd gathered outside a Yaletown highrise to watch as firefighters retrieved a terrier from the roof of a business on a the ground floor.

"Our crew successfully laddered this awning -- not knowing how this dog actually had landed there,” said VFD Capt. Carol Messenger of the rescue. “There is suspicion this dog may have fallen out of a window."

No one is sure how many stories the dog fell, but it appeared to be in serious pain.

“I think it had a hurt paw,” said Matt Martin, manager of the nearby Homer Street Cafe & Bar. “It was a very nice dog. The firemen were quick to get up there and they were really great to the dog.”

The cafe provided firefighters with coffee and peanut butter cookies as they worked, Martin said.

“It’s great that we can have those guys like that that can be here so quick and really save the day,” he said.

The dog’s condition remains unknown.

Messenger took the opportunity issue this reminder:

"With the warmer weather, when we're opening our windows, to use extreme caution, especially with children and pets,” she said. “You should make sure windows have safety locks, and it can only open so far and you have appropriate screens in place."