Every dog has its day, and one little pooch had hers Tuesday when a Davis fire crew rescued her from a South Davis storm drain.
Firefighter Luis Parrilla said a woman out walking her dog discovered the miniature poodle at about 6:15 p.m. in the area of La Vida Way and El Segundo Avenue. The dog alerted to the storm drain and began barking, which was followed by the sounds of whimpering coming from underground.
The rescued dog snuggles under a blanket before being taken to the UC Davis Veterinary Hospital for treatment. Courtesy photo
The woman called 9-1-1, which brought Parrilla and Capt. Richard Moore to the scene. Their arrival attracted the attention of several neighbors, including Julie Burgal, her husband René Toledo and their daughter Sierra, 2.
They cheered as Parrilla brought the 5-pound dog to safety. Burgal said she gave Sierra some dog treats to give the poodle, which quickly gobbled them up.
“She was so excited, but now she probably thinks dogs come from the sewer,” Burgal laughed.
Weak and disheveled, the dog received treatment at the UC Davis Veterinary Hospital before being turned over to Yolo County Animal Services in Woodland. There, thanks to a microchip, shelter staff tracked down the owners, who live about a block away from the storm drain and said the dog escaped Sunday when gusty winds blew open their back gate.
Perhaps more surprising than the dog’s ordeal was the revelation of her age. Initially believed to be a puppy, the dog is, in fact, 23 years old, Chief Animal Services Officer Vicky Fletcher said.
That’s 161 in dog years.
“We’re just happy that somebody happened to hear her and called it in,” Fletcher said.
— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net or 530-747-8048. Follow her on Twitter at @laurenkeene