When a bullmastiff named Violet fell into a defunct septic tank, Dallas-Fire Rescue responded to the scene to rescue the dog.
DALLAS — After a very large dog fell into a seemingly small hole, Dallas-Fire Rescue was tasked with getting the nearly 200-pound bullmastiff out of a defunct septic tank.
7-year-old Violet was walking in the vacant lot next to her owner’s home when her hind legs got caught in a 12-inch hole, causing her whole body to slide in. When first responders arrived, there were no visible signs of a dog in distress until they looked into the small hole.
“Even I was shocked walking up to this little hole, and inside you saw the giant head of a dog in it,” Charlie Abney, battalion chief with the Dallas Police Department, said. “It was definitely the biggest dog I’ve ever seen, she looked almost like a very large hog.”
Once Violet’s owners assured firefighters that she would not be aggressive, they got to work. Firefighters dug around the hole to make it bigger to create enough room for a firefighter to go down into the hole and attempt to lift Violet out. At this point, there was about a foot of water inside the hole, and Violet was exhausted, which made lifting her out of the whole impossible.
Once it was clear that they had to switch tactics, Abney called one of Dallas Fire’s technical rescue stations, which responded to the scene with additional equipment.
“It was really nothing for them; they were very well versed,” Abney said.
With about six or seven people, the firefighters were able to get straps under the dog’s front and hind legs and hoist her high enough to pop out of the hole.
“When she jumped out, it was a very happy moment for the dog and the homeowners and they went back to normal life,” Abney said.
