Sarah Mclellan, 33, was left devastated after her beloved dog Ralph went missing while out walking near her home in Haworth, West Yorkshire, last week.
Mclellan and her husband spent the weekend searching for the wire-haired Dachshund. They recruited volunteers, posted on “Lost Dogs” Facebook groups and even had a woman create a website for Ralph — all to no avail.
“On Friday, it was һoггіЬгe weather, it was cold and we couldn’t find him anywhere,” Mclellan said. “As you can imagine, at that point your thoughts are going crazy thinking, ‘What happened? Did he drown? Did something bad happen to him?’”
“My son was asking us where Ralphy was. He opened the front door and called out for him; it was heartbreaking,” she added. “We just wanted to tell him that daddy was looking for him.”
Miraculously, the terrified dog was finally sniffed out by his sister Edie while out walking with Mclellan’s husband on Monday.
Ralph was trapped 5 feet underground in a maze of rabbit holes, just half a mile from his home. After two hours of careful digging, the pup was finally rescued.
“Rabbit holes are like mazes and he must have gone through a hole and got stuck – he had made a hole in the middle but couldn’t get out,” Mclellan said. “When he got out the door he peed and then he kept going as if nothing had happened!”
“When I got home, I opened the door and there he was in the kitchen,” she added. “I couldn’t believe it.”
Despite losing weight while trapped in the hole, Ralph did not suffer any serious injuries.
“Ralph is completely exhausted and has worn down his nails from trying to dig his way out, but otherwise he is fine,” Mclellan said. “He has lost weight and is very tired; he just needs time to recover.”
The relieved owner hopes her happy ending will give others hope that their pets will be found, too.
“It was a total nightmare and I was still in shock when I saw him – I was up until 1am yesterday just holding him.
“He likes to chase rabbits and does it a lot, but this time he went too far. Hopefully he has learned his lesson this time.”
Stay positive and share the amazing rescue story with your friends on social media!
Share this story.
