Rescuers Work to Save Dog Named Charlie Trapped Underground in Fox Hole for 3 Days
Many a dog has found themselves in trouble after chasing a squirrel out into a busy street or racing after a rabbit, only to find themselves lost.
But one precocious pup found himself in real trouble during the chase.
Charlie was racing across a Scottish moor in pursuit of a fox. After all, that’s what Patterdale terriers do. But soon, he found himself in a spot of trouble as the fox ran down a hole.
Charlie was working for the Invermark Estate with a fox control mission. Not wanting to give up his chase, he followed the fox down.
Once he was more than 12 feet below the surface, he could not find his way back up.
Once Charlie had gone missing, gamekeepers became worried. They began to track Charlie with a GPS system until they located him deep in the fox hole.
But rescuing the pooch would not be easy. Five workers dug three feet deep, hoping to get close enough to pull the dog to safety.
Then they hit rock. For three days they chipped away, calling out to Charlie so that he would know that help was on the way.
“The lads were out all through the day and all through the night in sub-zero conditions,” said a member from the Angus Glens Moorland Group.
As the days went by and the temperatures began to drop, the rescuers believed that Charlie might not make it through another night.
Drastic measures had to be taken.
They enlisted the help of a rock breaker and generator. That finally did the trick, and soon they were in close range to poor Charlie.
Images from the rescue show how truly deep the dog had been lodged.
The pile of discarded rock that was removed to get to Charlie was enormous.
As Charlie was pulled from the hole, his face can be seen covered in dust from the drilling. Fortunately, he was still in good shape.
Later, Charlie was treated to steak pie. That just might be enough encouragement to go out and try again, steering clear of those pesky fox holes.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
