(La Porte County, IN) - A pet dog is back in loving arms after dug out a storm drain pipe he was trapped in outside his home near Michigan City.
David Lant said he was relieved Sunday when “Bubba” emerged from the pipe on the other side of a roughly 40 foot long culvert in a ditch in front of his residence at 7933 W. Dianne Dr. just off Wozniak Road.
Lant, 62, said he was outside with first responders during the rescue while his emotional wife, Loretta, stayed inside. Her tears from worrying about her beloved Yorkshire terrier quickly turned into tears of joy.
“She was just crying and all upset,” he said.
Lant said the dog was roaming free in his yard when he made his way over close to the drainage culvert then disappeared. He said the first thing he did is walk to where he last saw the dog and heard the echoes of him barking and whimpering from inside the 12 to 15 inch wide pipe.
Lant citing limited physical ability from Parkinson’s Disease chose not to try and rescue dog himself but, instead, called 911.
Coolspring Township Assistant Fire Chief Warren Smith said the dog was trapped in a bunch of dirt and sand inside the pipe.
“The dog got in there and got wedged,” he said.
He said duct tape was used to fasten a garden hoe to the end of a long pole to reach the clog about halfway into the pipe. Firefighters Hunter Wrobleski and Tyler Bohle took turns slowly moving the pole in and out of the opening, removing just a small amount of dirt and sand each time.
Smith said about one hour later is when the dog as Wroblewski stood up to take a short break emerged from the end of the pipe.
“He was a happy little dog. He was just running around like no big deal,” he said.
Lant speculated the dog ran into the pipe while chasing a ground hog, a mole or some other animal into the opening. He has since placed two metal roads in front of the openings on each side to try and keep the dog out of the culvert.
“That dummy is still going to the pipe wanting to get in there. He’s very smart,” he said.
