May 28, 2008

Pet Pulse Photo Illustration by Mike Lloyd

NEW YORK -- Saturday afternoon brought a happy reunion for 10-year old German shepherd Ebony and her owner Jane Bowie in the Cairn region of Australia.

After being trapped for 15 days at the base of a gully, Cairns South firefighters worked to save the dog by lowering themselves nearly 33 feet down into the 50-degree embankment with a rope.

Ebony had gone missing on May 9 after a side gate was accidentally left open. Bowie immediately searched her neighborhood in Alpinia Tce and spent the next two weeks posting notices and placing ads on the radio and in The Cairns Post.

Then she started to hear Ebony howl and cry at night, but Bowie was unable to determine the dog’s exact whereabouts.

"Ebony’s not a very vocal animal so I didn’t know if it was her," Bowie said in an interview with The Carins Post.

On Saturday, Bowie decided it was time to call for help after she heard more barking.

A crew of three arrived and the rescue began.

"They called out ‘She’s here, she’s here, she’s all right, she’s wagging her tail’," an emotional Bowie recalled after the firefighters reached Ebony.

Despite losing about 13 pounds, Ebony was thrilled to see her rescuers since she could not overcome the six-and-a-half foot tall guinea grass, in addition to the steep grade.

"As soon as Lenard (the first fireman to reach the gully) got down there she (Ebony) was all over him, she was so happy to see him," South Cairn Fire Station officer-in-charge Brad Fleming said.

Fleming says he and his crew were all dog-lovers and were just as happy as her owner to see Ebony returned safe and sound.

"To have a feel-good rescue like this, we’re all pretty chuffed about it compared to some of the things we go to," Fleming said.

Tell us what you think about “Dog Survives 15 Days Trapped in Gully” below. Share your favorite videos by clicking on the ZootooTV tab. Send us your story ideas by e-mailing us at news@zootoo.com or by calling us at 877-777-4204.

The Cairns Post, Australia, contributed to this article.