The rocky shoreline of Southern California is beautiful to look at but can be a dangerous place for dogs.

A man jogging at Ocean Beach in San Francisco heard something that made him stop in his tracks. It sounded like a muffled bark, but he didn't see a dog anywhere on the beach. He continued to search the area and eventually spotted a dog trapped under the large rocks.

The scared dog was looking up out of a small opening between the rocks and needed to be rescued before high tide.

Animal Care & Control (ACC) San Francisco was called to help and shared the amazing rescue story on Facebook. They wrote, "A dog was buried under large rocks on Ocean Beach, down near the sewage treatment plant. It was low tide, and the water, while not very close at this point, was coming in. It is beyond lucky that we even got this call."

Officer Ortega responded to the call and was able to free the sweet pup after managing to move one of the enormous rocks. The young dog was thrilled to be free, and it turns out she was reported missing by her owners. The one-year-old Springer Spaniel named Gwen was pictured showing her appreciation and saying "thanks" to her rescuer by looking up at him with her big, loving eyes.

"Gwen was reunited with her family in Noe Valley, scared and cold, but otherwise OK," wrote ACC. "We have no idea how she got into that tiny area. Possibly, she dislodged a large rock, fell in, and the rock rolled on top. However it happened, we’re so glad she’s now safe and sound at home!"

Everyone involved in rescuing Gwen is a hero and happened to be at the right place at the right time. Check out all the rescue photos here and don't forget to share!