Police K9 dogs are an invaluable part of any police department. They use their incredible skills and abilities to save lives and track down missing people.
But sometimes, they’re the ones who need saving. That was the case recently, as one retired K9 was rescued after falling down a 40-foot well.
On February 1, emergency crews were alerted of a dog in a confined space in Bonita, California, according to the Chula Vista Fire Department.
The dog was Indy, a 9-year-old German Shepard who is a retired police K9. She had fallen down an abandoned well that was 40 feet deep.
On Wed Feb 1 the @chulavistafd was called to assist the @bonitafire with reports of a dog stuck in an abandoned well…
Posted by Chula Vista Fire Department on Thursday, February 2, 2023
Several emergency crews joined forces to rescue the dog, including Bonita Fire Protection, San Miguel Fire Department, Chula Vista Fire Department and the San Diego Humane Society.
It was no easy mission: the rescue took over four hours and lasted into the evening. “We had been trying for a couple hours, we tried different techniques, different approaches, and the key was not to give up,” Chula Vista firefighter Fernando Bayardi said in a video.
But finally, Bayardi had success in securing a lasso around Indy’s neck.
“It was definitely a sigh of relief as soon as I got that lasso around the neck,” Bayardi said. “We finally decided to just try an old lasso technique and see if we can get the rope around the dog. I got the cinch, and I got a good grip of the dog… I was very happy.”
No one was more relieved than Indy’s owner, Mark Pugh, who soon reunited with his lost dog. “It was definitely more of an emotional part when we saw the owner come over … hands down the best feeling was being able to see him go over to his dog and pet him,” said firefighter Jaime Mendoza.
Indy was taken to South County Animal Hospital, according to CBS 8. He will need a few trips to the doctor, but he is now on the road to recovery.
“He’s doing okay, he’s alert. He’s awake and he’s getting pain meds. He’s had surgery for a couple of wounds,” Mark Pugh told the outlet.
“It’s day-by-day still,” Pugh told CBS 8 in an update, explaining that his dog suffered an 18-inch gash from the fall that took some time to heal. “Before he’s back to normal where he was, a happy-go-lucky, running through the field, German Shepherd, it could be another couple months.”
“He’s hung in there, he’s strong, he’s a very strong German Shepherd.”
We’re wishing Indy a fast recovery! We’re so glad he was saved from this 40-foot hole! Thank you to everyone who came to his rescue!
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