A four-week-old puppy is lucky to have escaped unscathed after she found herself stuck within the depths of a drainpipe in the backyard of a Hilton property last month. Thanks to the quick response from RSPCA South Australia rescue officers, and with the assistance of a local plumber, the pup was able to be safely reunited with her mother and littermate.
Rescue Officer, Heidi, and volunteer, Monica, received the distressing call from the puppy’s owner at around 10:30am on Saturday, December 10, with fears that her beloved pet had fallen down a drainpipe in her backyard.
Unbeknownst to the owner, the drain cover had been removed the day prior by contractors so they could perform maintenance work on the property. Failure to replace the cover saw the adventurous pup fall a depth of about a metre after it investigated the entrance – an unclimbable drop for an animal of her size.
Cries heard upon arrival to the property were enough for Heidi to establish that it would be a critical rescue operation for the team.
“The owner directed us to the back of the property where the drain was, and we could hear the puppy crying out for help with everything she had,” Heidi recalled.
“As an animal lover, that is a truly heartbreaking noise to hear.”
While RSPCA’s fleet of rescue officers are equipped with the necessary equipment to deal with incidents of this nature, the puppy had wandered along the drainpipe so far that she wasn’t able to be reached with the instruments on hand.
“It was at this point that we decided we were going to need extra assistance,” Heidi explained.
A second failed rescue attempt by the MFS began to heighten concerns amongst the team, as the unweaned puppy had already been apart from its mother for more than a few hours and was at risk of hypothermia, as she was partially in water. While the puppy was cold, her rescuers above were extremely hot, working feverishly against time in 30C plus temperatures to get her safely retrieved from the depths of the underground pipe.
Fortunately, a city-wide radio callout provided the help the rescue team so desperately needed – and it came in the form of off-duty SA Water plumber, Gary.
Within 20-minutes of the call out, big-hearted Gary had arrived on the scene ready to offer a helping hand and specialised industrial equipment. Heidi said from that point she felt confident they would get the job done.
Gary used a light and camera on the end of a long lead to establish the precise location of the puppy.
“We could see through the camera that the pup was partially submerged in water, which made the rescue operation all the more critical,” she said.
“As soon as we had the location of the pup, it was all hands on deck as we began digging.”
In an effort to not frighten the puppy deeper into the darkness, Gary quickly but delicately cut an opening in the exposed pipe, before reaching in and pulling the pup out to safety.
“I could see that she was cold, tired and scared – so we immediately began working on warming her up as quickly as we could,” recalled Heidi.
“Considering the pup was not yet weaned, getting her back to her mother was our utmost priority.”
After a cuddle and feed with mum, Heidi took the puppy to The Parade Norwood Veterinary Clinic for a check-up, where it was established that she would make a full recovery.
The entire team at RSPCA South Australia would like to thank the dedicated and passionate community members who assisted in reuniting this puppy with her mother, after what would’ve been a terrifying ordeal for the young pup.
“Gary’s willingness to volunteer his time and services to such a helpless animal in need was truly admirable,” said Heidi.
“And we had other plumbers, too, who heard our radio callout for help and were on standby – the response reflects the huge compassion our community has for animals and is truly heartwarming.”
To report an act of cruelty or neglect, or if you’ve found an injured, sick or trapped animal in need of rescue, please phone our 24-hour hotline on 1300 4 777 22. Alternatively, fill out our online cruelty report form.
