A dog who is both blind and deaf was joyfully reunited with her family on Tuesday after enduring three days trapped underground. A family in Peoria reported that their 15-year-old Chihuahua, Lucy, accidentally tumbled into the tortoise enclosure in their backyard.
The Arizona Humane Society dedicated six hours to rescue the dog. The proprietors mentioned that they attempted to seek assistance from the fire and police departments but were not successful.
In the end, the situation proved to be beyond the capabilities of a typical rescue operation. That’s when Samson’s K9 Search & Rescue stepped in.
“I saw a post this morning that Jason had put out on a Facebook group and I reached out and it was about his parent’s dog being stuck in a tortoise den and him not really knowing what to do him,” Kim Powell with Samson’s K9 Search & Rescue said.
However, it proved to be quite challenging.
“It (the hole) was actually a little bit more than 9 feet is a drop and almost 30 feet back … Excavating would not have been an option,” Powell said. “The risk of collapse with it being so close to a tree like this would not have been worth the risk, especially for such an old, fragile small dog.”
As the rescue unfolded, the team carefully introduced a camera and a catch pole into the den.
“We did have quite a few attempts initially where she kind of almost stepped into the loop on the snare, but because she’s so small and so. She doesn’t have a lot of weight to pull against that,” Powell said.
Following approximately four hours of searching and several efforts, they successfully rescued the puppy. As the dog was lifted back to safety, the owner exclaimed, “Bless you guys! That’s my baby!”
Powell acknowledged that the operation was made possible thanks to the invaluable assistance of 100% Plumbing, who stepped in to help.
Following their joyful reunion with their beloved pet, Powell recommended that the couple bring Lucy to the vet, noting that she appeared to be in remarkably good shape despite her recent experiences.
Samson’s K9 Search & Rescue operates with the dedication of volunteers. Individuals traveled from distant locations, including San Tan Valley, to assist with the rescue efforts.