Firefighters Save Dog Who Fell into Sewer Sludge

A dog named Theo was walking down the street in front of a Chicago firehouse, keeping his eye out for treats from his firefighter friends, when he fell 10 feet through an open sewer hole and landed in toxic sludge on Friday afternoon.

Firefighters for Engine 103 on the West Side were just returning from a call when they leapt into action.

Theo’s panicked owner, who felt the leash snap in his hand, brings the 90-pound pit bull by the firehouse because he likes to visit with the firehouse dog, Freckles, reports the Chicago Tribune. The dog was woozy and sinking into deep sewage, according to the fire department. A firefighter put on a rubber suit and went into the sewer to save Theo.

“You could only see the tip of his nose and he was sinking,” Lt. Kenneth Trotter told the Trib. “I put a ladder down into the hole so the dog was able to grab it and stop sinking.”

After Theo was brought back to the street, the firefighters hosed him off good and told his owner to get the dog to a vet.

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