Utility Worker Hears Noise From Deep Hole—Not Ready for What's Down There
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A routine Friday morning took an unexpected turn when a utility worker stumbled upon a surprising discovery—a small dog trapped deep in a hole in Prescott Valley, Arizona.
In March this year, the worker was inspecting an area when he nearly fell into a large, concealed hole. Hearing frantic barking echoing from below, he looked down and saw a small dog stranded at the bottom, over 10 feet below ground.
Yavapai County Sheriff's Animal Control was immediately notified and an officer arrived on the scene to assess the situation.
"He looked down and, much to his surprise, there was a small dog," Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post.
The officer immediately sprang into action, borrowing a ladder from nearby.
Pictures of the 10ft hole and the officer who stepped in to rescue the trapped dog.
Pictures of the 10ft hole and the officer who stepped in to rescue the trapped dog.
Yavapai County Sheriff's Office
"The hole was over 10 feet deep, and the dog had possible injuries to his front legs but was otherwise ok," the sheriff's office said.
He lifted the dog up to safety, and when an owner couldn't be found he transported him to get medical treatment.
Newsweek reached out to Yavapai County Sheriff's Office via email for comment.
With no owner, the dog entered the shelter system. In 2024, approximately 7 million animals entered U.S. shelters and rescues, according to Shelter Animals Count—an increase of nearly 3 percent from 2023. By the end of the year, 103,000 more pets had entered shelters than had exited, contributing to an ongoing capacity crisis in U.S. shelters.
The sheriff's office shared the heroic moment on video in a post on Facebook. With hundreds of reactions, people shared their thoughts in the comments.
"Animal rescuers are my heroes, thank you," said Katie Meyer. Diane Spiegel echoed this and wrote: "Thank you all involved in this little guys rescue!"
While Joanne Rowlands said: "Thank you sir for rescuing this beautiful! I can't imagine what this poor little animal went through. You are truly a hero. God bless you!"
Angela Bracken wrote: "Thank you for going above and beyond... Well more like below and beyond."
Others said that they thought the hole should be filled. April Edwards wrote: "Hole needs to be covered up!" While Jill Mihelich said: "Who the heck leaves something like that open????? It could have killed a child."
This isn't the first time a police force has stepped in to rescue an abandoned dog. Last year, officers at the Clark Township Police Department came across a bucket of puppies on a freezing night in December. Only about a week and a half old, officers weren't sure the puppies would survive, but now they have found their forever homes—with the cops that rescued them.
In 2024, Florida Highway Patrol troopers saved a dog that was found tied to a pole in Tampa as water was flooding up to his chest around him.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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