California firefighters rescue blind dog that fell inside 15-foot hole at construction site

By Sarah Rumpf-Whitten

California firefighters rescued a 13-year-old blind dog that fell into a 15-foot hole at a construction site.

The dog, named Cesar, lives next to the site in Pasadena, California, with his owner, Mary. Next door, construction workers were working at the 700 block of North Lake Avenue, the former site of fast food chain, Carl's Jr.

This image, provided by the Pasadena Fire Department, shows firefighters posing with Cesar, a blind dog that was rescued from a hold in Pasadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. (Pasadena Fire Department via AP)

According to KABC-TV, the dog wandered on to the site and fell into the hole at about 7 p.m on Tuesday. The hole was about 15 feet (4.5 meters) deep and 3 feet (0.91 meters) wide.

Mary was alerted that Caesar was missing from her property when her other dog started barking, and she noticed that Caesar's response was muffled, signaling he was no longer on her property.

A Pasadena search and rescue team quickly responded to the scene where they hooked up a series of ropes and pulleys to lower one team member into the hole. It took the team member about 12 minutes to reach the dog, secure him in a harness and bring him back to the surface.

Firefighters lowered one of their team members down into the hole to secure the dog. (Pasadena Fire Department via AP)

Firefighters have rescued a 13-year-old blind dog that fell into a hole at a California construction site. (Pasadena Fire Department via AP)

Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin said confined-space rescues present unique challenges for firefighters.

"There are a lot of steps we need to do to make it as safe as possible. For not just the dog but also our rescuers," Augustin said.

Cesar appeared to be healthy and uninjured after he was retrieved from the hole. He shook off a heavy coat of construction dirt and dust and was reunited with his owner at the scene.

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a U.S. Writer at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to sarah.rumpf@fox.com and on X @s_rumpfwhitten

https://www.foxnews.com/us/california-firefighters-rescue-blind-dog-fell-inside-hole-construction-site