This is the dramatic moment rescuers finally pull a stray dog to safety after it spent around three years trapped at the bottom of a filthy drain.
The rescue took place in Yantai, a coastal city in Shandong Province, eastern China, on 2nd March.
Video shows rescuers climbing down into the drain before carefully lifting the white dog from the narrow shaft after finally managing to capture it using a specially designed trap lowered into the drain.
The dog had reportedly fallen into the abandoned drain in 2023 and was unable to escape because of its depth and the complex structure at the bottom.
Members of the Yantai Flower Arm Animal Rescue Team said the drain was several metres deep, with a narrow opening, slippery pipes and an intricate network of passages below that made rescue attempts extremely difficult.
Rescuers and volunteers reportedly attempted to retrieve the animal nearly 40 times over the three-year period but repeatedly failed.
During that time, residents living nearby regularly lowered food into the drain, allowing the dog to survive despite being trapped underground.
The dog would often hide in the tunnels at the bottom whenever strangers approached, making it even harder for teams trying to capture it.
The breakthrough came when the rescue team installed a trap mechanism inside the drain and successfully lured the dog into triggering it.
Once the device was activated, rescuers were able to pull the animal out and bring it safely to the surface for the first time in years.
The dog was taken to a veterinary hospital where examinations showed its eyesight had severely deteriorated after spending years in the dark environment.
The animal remains at the clinic for treatment and observation.
Loading ...