The little dog’s whereabouts in the well in Beykoz, Turkey, are unknown, but residents were alerted to his suffering by the sound of crying. With one look at the cramped room, he realized he’d never be able to get out on his own. The earthen hole, which was just under a foot in diameter and plunged more than 200 feet below the ground, was just under a foot in diameter.
While it may have looked difficult to assist the puppy given the conditions, rescuers who were notified to the situation refused to give up.
To examine the issue, emergency personnel comprised of local firemen and animal rescue organizations were dispatched. They erected a tent over the hole to keep the rain out and lowered camera equipment to assess the puppy’s condition.
Rescuers were able to keep the puppy alive by feeding him, but getting him out would be considerably more difficult. Crews tried for ten days to figure out how to get the dog out, but were unable.
The rescue operation quickly gained national and international attention in Turkey, thanks to social media and national television coverage. When Energy Minister Berat Albayrak learned of the puppy’s predicament, he ordered a state-owned mining business, Turkish Hard Coal Enterprises, to intervene, according to the Daily Sabah.
The crew ultimately managed to collar the dog and bring him up to safety using a long, motorized lasso dropped into the hole – a dramatic scene captured on tape.
The puppy was released after more than a week — an outcome that seemed to rest on the tiniest of margins at times.
Veterinarians checked the lucky little dog, who has now been called Kuyu (Turkish for “well”), and determined him to be in good condition — but his story gets much better.
Beykoz firefighters adopted the puppy and welcomed him to reside at their station, assuring that Kuyu will be saved for the rest of his life.
