STAVROPOL, September 9 (RIA Novosti) – Rescuers in the southern Russian city of Stavropol pulled a stray dog out of a sewer drain after two weeks of unsuccessful attempts to catch the animal, a city rescue service spokesman said Monday.
Locals informed rescuers about the dog – which fell into a seven-meter-deep sewer drain on August 23 – saying they were unable to rest and sleep because the animal constantly barked and howled underground.
However, all attempts to catch the canine proved unsuccessful – it hid in rainwater piping when rescuers tried to catch it, broke free from traps and ignored sedative baits because it was regularly fed by locals.
“Thanks to special barriers installed in the piping, we managed to block the dog in the sewer drain and limit its ability to move around the sewer. This gave rescuers a chance to descend into the drain, catch the animal and take it to surface,” said Roman Kiyashko, a spokesman for the Stavropol rescue service.
He said the dog had spent some time in water because of ongoing heavy rains and was taken to an animal clinic suffering from hypothermia.
“The dog is in good condition. It feels quite well, considering the circumstances in which it was found. We will monitor its condition for some time and then take it to an animal shelter,” an animal clinic employee said.
