A missing dog case turned strange this week in western Virginia, when the owners reported their beloved pet’s disembodied bark was coming from somewhere in the earth on their property.
Not from a cave, a tunnel or drainage pipe, but from the dirt itself.
The family, who was not identified, responded to this odd turn of events by calling Franklin County Animal Control and Shelter, and that proved to be a wise move, according to a retelling posted by the shelter Monday on Facebook.
Turns out “sweet elderly Henry,” their beagle, was very much alive but got hopelessly stuck underground Monday while doing “what any curious rabbit chasing beagle does,” the shelter wrote.
“He managed to chase something in a hole on his property, which turned out to be a buried old abandoned vehicle,” the shelter posted.
“Once inside, he manage(d) to get wedged in the far back and couldn’t get himself out. His worried family … went out searching. They heard him barking beneath the ground.”
Poor Henry was so deep that animal control had to call the Fork Mountain Fire Department and Franklin County Public Safety “for assistance and tools needed to dig and bend metal to get him free,” the Facebook post explained.
Animal Control officials didn’t say how long it took to get the dog out, but photos reveal the long-buried vehicle was upside down in the ground, and Henry was trapped in its bowels.
One photo shows Henry’s head and floppy ears weren’t visible until after rescuers dug several feet down.
“Happy to say Henry is fine! He did not experience any pain during the rescue, just a little cold, thirsty and tired!” the shelter posted.
“He was taken in the house to his favorite bed in front of the fireplace!”