Gulfport Firefighters Rescue Dog from 16-Foot Hole
From: City of Gulfport   Ryan LaFontaine   Filed  2/20/09  GCN

GULFPORT — Fire fighters rescued a dog this afternoon that was stuck about 16 feet deep in a drainage pipe near Three Rivers Road and Cross Roads Parkway, Chief Pat Sullivan said.

A work crew spent Friday morning working on a gas line nearby and heard the pit bull named Pepper barking, but because she was stuck so deep underground her bark was muffled, making it difficult for the workers to locate her.

Shortly after lunch today, one of the workers discovered the hole, cleared away grass and debris and noticed Pepper’s head just inches above water that was rushing along the bottom of the pipe.

Fire fighters assisted Gulfport Animal Control and used a dog catch to loop around Pepper’s head and pull her to safety. The rescue effort lasted about 40 minutes, Sullivan said.

“We have no way of knowing how long she was in there,” Sullivan said. “It’s amazing that the dog actually stop where she did, because when we got there the water was rushing by just a few inches from her face.”

Pepper’s owner had been looking for her for several days, and today, a healthy dog and happy owner were reunited.