Dog rescue ‘good for the soul’

Nathan Johnston
MEMBERS of the Dandenong CFA B Platoon Rescue Unit performed a special Father’s Day job in Dandenong on Sunday, saving a dog stuck in an underground drain network.
Fire officer Peter Lucas said the rescue was “good for the soul” after responding to so many grisly callouts.
“We’re the busiest rescue unit in Australia, and we’re always doing road and industrial rescues, so it’s good to get something like this for a change,” he said. “It really brightens you up. You do the other jobs all the time, but you need this sort of thing every now and then.”
Gary Hendy from Strath Creek was visiting Dandenong for the Father’s Day weekend when he took his dog Callum for a walk at the Dandenong Showgrounds.
He told the CFA rescue team that his black terrier spotted a feral cat, chasing it into an underground drain network.
The chase ended when Callum fell into a storm water collection pit, where he became trapped for two and a half hours.
Mr Hendy, also a CFA volunteer, called emergency services when he heard his dog’s whimpers for help echoing through the pipes.
Mr Lucas was part of the rescue team and said it was an emotional reunion when the dog was returned to its owner.
“He thought he had lost his dog, so he was quite upset just like any other pet owner who thought they’d lost a much loved part of the family,” Mr Lucas said.
Fire officer Jason Deason was fitted with a breathing apparatus before he was sent into the pit to retrieve the dog.
“We opened the pit and sent him in with all of the gear because you don’t know what’s down there,” Mr Lucas said.
“The dog was distraught by the time we found him. He had a decent fall. He was cold and wet and had a sore leg, but he’ll be fine.”