A renter in Longview, Texas, heard the muffled barking of a dog and soon realized the cries weren’t coming from outside but from beneath his floorboards. Alarmed, he immediately called authorities for help.
“He realized it wasn’t coming from outside; it was actually coming from below,” Jenna George, executive director of the Longview Animal Care and Adoption Center, told The Washington Post.
Animal Control Officer Bobby Jumper arrived at the house and also heard the sound. That’s when he discovered a 12-foot-deep well hidden beneath the house—and at the bottom of the hole was a dog!
“I was very shocked,” Jumper said. “I’ve been doing this for over seven years, and that’s the first time I’ve run into something like this.”
The dog stared up at him from the bottom of the eerie stone well. He stopped barking and wagged his tail, clearly relieved to see someone.
Jumper could tell the dog was happy to see him, and he immediately called the Longview Fire Department for assistance. Rescuers began assembling slings to pull the dog out of the tight space. At one point, they considered ripping up the floorboards to reach him. But after three hours of effort, they finally managed to lift the dog to safety.
They believe he had been trapped for days without food or water. The dog, a Basset Hound mix, was taken to a local vet, where he was found to have an inflamed ear and some minor cuts but was otherwise in good health.
To prevent another accident, firefighters sealed up the well. The dog wasn’t recognized by the renter or the Longview Animal Care and Adoption Center, and he had no microchip or tags. After canvassing the neighborhood with no luck, the shelter named him Timmy and put him up for adoption. But they didn’t have to look far—one of his rescuers decided to adopt him!
The shelter described Timmy as a real “love bug” and a very sweet dog. They shared on Facebook, “Thank you to everyone who played a part in this miraculous rescue. It’s a true reminder of the incredible bond between humans and animals and how a community comes together in times of need!”