WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — A dog is back in the safety of its owners after going nearly 100 feet into a culvert in Whatcom County.
On Monday, the South Whatcom Fire Authority answered an emergency call from a resident about their dog stuck in a culvert.
Working with the dog owner, neighbors, animal control and others, the crew was able to put together a plan to rescue the dog.
The team first dug out at the center of the culvert and then cut into the side to get eyes on the dog.
“We could hear the dog most of the time, but could not identify where she was exactly,” Mitch Nolze, fire chief of South Whatcom Fire Authority said.
Fire crews asked the public works department for a sewer camera to help pinpoint the dog’s exact location but since it would have taken too long to respond, crews on the ground had to find other options.
Through some creative thinking, crews used a GoPro camera attached to a hose and snaked it into the culvert looking for the dog.
The dog was found about 30 feet from the end, so crews inserted a larger hose to get the dog to keep walking to the end of the pipe.
After nearly three hours, the dog walked toward the light and into the hands of her relieved owner.
“While we primarily are involved with rescuing people and preserving property, we understand that people’s pets are important parts of their family and we will use reasonable resources to assist in rescuing animals in these situations,” Nolze said. “We also do this to prevent humans from putting themselves into further danger by trying to rescue their pets on their own. We always prioritize human life safety issues in these circumstances.”
At the time, crews were actively tracking other calls in the area but offered to help as long as they could, the chief noted.
“We encourage our community to reach out to animal control/Humane Society first in these situations, but we will support rescue efforts as our capabilities allow,” Nolze said.
The dog had traveled nearly 100 feet into the culvert but was not injured.