Pup Trapped For 2 Days Under Deck Rescued By Herndon Firefighters (Photos)

GREAT FALLS, VA — A frightened pup is safe now after getting trapped underneath a deck in the Great Falls area, necessitating a rescue from firefighters in Herndon.

A resident in Great Falls -- the exact address was not listed -- called Fire Station 39 North Point in Herndon on June 1 to report that their dog, a pointer weighing 60 pounds named Banx, had become trapped somewhere underneath the home's deck, according to a report from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.

Firefighters arrived shortly after and found no evidence of disturbed gravel that would suggest the dog had gotten underneath the deck, which was just 3 inches off the ground. After a search elsewhere around the home turned up nothing, the owner gave firefighters permission to remove some of the decking to search further. However, again they found nothing.

"After some additional time passed searching the area, the home owner and one of the firefighters heard a small whine from under the house," the report states. "Crews immediately went to work removing additional deck boards to gain access to the foundation. This portion of the home that the deck was against was a slab foundation. Once the decking was removed there was again no evidence of any gravel being disturbed and a solid concrete foundation over a gravel base was all that was evident."

So firefighters went even further, removing some of the gravel under the slab of the home to see if the dog may have found a pocket to crawl into. Several buckets of gravel later, they could feel the dog's tail and foot, and were able to remove enough gravel to get food and water to him as work continued.

"After a well-coordinated movement of material, firefighters were able to finally free the dog from under the home," the report states. "The dog had been trapped under the home for two days. He emerged dehydrated and a little bruised but in good shape despite the lengthy entrapment. Fairfax County Animal control evaluated the dog’s health and turned him over to a very happy family."

Firefighters think that the dog may have tried to get at a small animal that hid under the deck, and then became wedged, continuing to push forward in an attempt to get free. The gravel he was moving likely filled in behind him, blocking evidence of where he had gone.

Images via Fairfax County Fire and Rescue