It was a pretty ruff day for a German shepherd that fell about 15 feet down an abandoned septic tank hole in a Willowbrook home Wednesday evening.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to the call at about 3:45 p.m. at a home located near 137th Street and Stanford Avenue.
The 15-year-old dog named Mayahuel was rescued after about three hours of effort from firefighters.
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The Building and Safety Department was also called to the scene to ensure that it is structurally safe for the residents to remain in the home once the rescue efforts ended
"It ended up being a septic tank it's approximately 15 to 20 feet deep," Captain Abe Serrano with the LA County Fire Department said.
The septic tank was empty and has been for many years, LA County Fire Department Captain Wade Kelsey said.
"They have to take all safety precautions because they're going into a confined space," Serrano said. "They try to do everything expeditiously but they also have to take all safety precautions."
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“My father in law called me and he said that he couldn’t find her and suddenly we checked and there was a hole right there,” Alex Muñoz, the dog's owner, said.
Serrano said the home has a crawl space under the house and the homeowner tried to rescue the dog himself but realized it was too deep and unsafe.
“It was very tense moments, several hours we were waiting,” Alex Alfaro, the dog’ owner, said. “We were so nervous. I was at a loss for words”
The homeowners said they had no idea the hole was there.
"We pretty much do the rescues for animals like for humans," Serrano said.
Troy Litchfield of the LA County Urban Search and Rescue Team said he used dog treats to build trust with Mayahuel and get her to calm down so they could get her out.
"Troy is a hero, he risked his life and saved my dog," Muñoz said.
At around 6:25 p.m. the dog was safely pulled out of the hole and will be taken to a vet to be evaluated.
“I’m really really happy that she’s alive,” Munoz said. “It’s amazing that she’s alive."
