Sinkholes are a terrifying natural disaster. At any moment, cars, people, animals, and even entire homes can be swallowed up into the earth where there was once solid ground.
After a day of heavy rain, the ground on a family farm became so saturated with water. When the Florida family’s pug named Cookie took one step on it the next day, on April 5, the ground suddenly collapsed under her feet and swallowed her up completely.
As soon as Cookie’s owners realized what happened, they called the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office, who then contacted the UF’s Veterinary Emergency Treatment Service. The students and staff teamed up with the Gilchrist County Fire Rescue, the Fanning Springs Fire Rescue, and the Trenton Fire Department and immediately got to work rescuing the animal.
For five hours, the team worked to dig Cookie out from the ground and then finally lowered Jennifer Groover, a brave veterinary student into the 30-foot sinkhole. Once at the bottom, she scooped Cookie up, and the dog, who was miraculously unharmed, was safely pulled back up to safety.
What would you do if your dog was suddenly swallowed up by the earth? Let us know what you think in the comments below and please SHARE this with friends on Facebook.
[Featured image: Facebook/University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine]