Brave dog rescued after five nights stuck down Cork storm drain
The Cork family of four-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier 'Irek' were devastated when he went missing last week, and after five days of looking they had almost given up hope.
Irek disappeared from the Cork suburb of Ballincollig last Tuesday around the area’s GAA pitch.
Little did his family know that the poor pooch was enduring a remarkable battle for survival.
The unfortunate canine had somehow fallen 15-20 feet down an exposed storm drain and had become trapped inside it.
The family, while still looking for Irek, posted frantic appeals to the Munster Lost and Found Pet Helpline Facebook page seeking any information on their beloved pet – but no one had seen him.
Munster Lost and Found Pet Helpline is a non-profit organisation based in Ballinhassig, who aim to help reunify lost pets with their owners.
Five long nights has passed until Sunday morning when two young boys happened to hear a severely dehydrated Irek inside the drain.
The boys then told a local woman known only as Aoife who, as luck would have it, had seen the Facebook appeal page and contacted the helpline.
Bosses at the helpline then got in touch with Lisa O’Donovan from the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to help and, even though it was her day off, Lisa made the 45-minute drive to come to the rescue.
Using her safety equipment, Lisa managed to lower herself into the hole and gently harness the frightened terrier up. After a tense few minutes, both she and the dog were free.
Irek couldn’t help but thank his brave rescuer as they returned to the surface, before being emotionally reunited with his family.
After been taken from the drain suffering from obvious hunger and dehydration, the pooch was lucky not to suffer any other injuries and is now said to be well on the road to recovery.
If you're looking for a new pet, the Munster Lost and Found Pet Helpline also has a shelter in Ballinhassig, where they care and seek new homes for abandoned animals.
The helpline has managed to reunite well over 100 grateful owners with their lost pets since their inception.
If you would like to volunteer, donate or need help finding your pet you can contact the Munster Lost and Found Pet Helpline on 021-4287216 or check out their Facebook page.
