Pasadena firefighters rescue blind dog who fell down 15ft hole at construction site

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) — Pasadena firefighters were able to rescue a blind dog that had fallen into a construction hole Tuesday night.

The dog fell into the hole, about 15 feet deep and three feet wide, at a construction site on Lake Avenue near Boylston Street around 7 p.m.

A search and rescue team from Pasadena responded to the scene.

The team hooked up a series of ropes and pulleys to lower a team member into the hole.

It took about 12 minutes for the rescue team member to reach the animal, strap it into a harness and bring it to the surface.

The owner told Eyewitness News his dog’s name is Cesar and is 13 years old.

Cesar appeared to be healthy and unharmed after being pulled out of the hole. He shook off a thick layer of dirt and construction dust and found his owners at the scene.

The firefighters posed for a group photo with Cesar after the rescue.

Cesar’s landlady, who identified herself as Mary, said she lived next door to the construction site. Her dog apparently found a hole in the construction fence and wandered around the site, she said.

“He’s an old dog,” she said. “But he’s still very curious and adventurous.”

She was alerted by the barking of her other dog. Cesar answered and she could hear that he was no longer in his own backyard.

She was able to reach the construction foreman and then they alerted the fire department, who arrived on the scene within about 10 minutes, she said.

Firefighters say Cesar looked scared in the hole and Mary says he was crying there.

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

“The dog was blind,” he said. “This is a construction zone. Confined space rescues are infrequent and high risk. We have to take many steps to make it as safe as possible. Not only for the dog, but also for our rescuers .”

But they were all grateful it turned out well in the end, he said.

“It always makes us feel good. At the end of the day, we’re all animal lovers.”

“I have a dog myself. We want to make sure we take care of not only our residents, but also our furry friends.”

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