Puppy Rescued After Falling 25 Feet Down an Abandoned Mine Shaft

Photo via NBC Southern California

, a tiny pup, named Puppy Dog, is safe in her pet parent’s arms after surviving a 25 foot fall down an abandoned mine shaft in Barstow, California.Owner Jerry Crain was enjoying an off-roading adventure when his dog escaped and began doing some exploring of her own. When Puppy Dog didn’t return, Crain knew that something terrible had happened. After all, the treacherous landscape of the High Desert area is “peppered” with abandoned mineshafts, according to Eric Sherwin, spokesman for the San Bernardino County Fire Department.Crain had returned the next day to continue searching for his puppy, when he “just happened” to notice the barbed wire surrounding what seemed to be a massive hole. When he took a closer look, he was able to see Puppy Dog, perched on a ledge of the shaft, 25 feet below.

Photo via NBC Southern California

Luckily, this kind of rescue is not uncommon, and Sherwin’s team is well-trained. Members of the department’s Urban Search and Rescue team rigged a high-angle contraption on the edge of the mine shaft, and a firefighter rappelled down the shaft.The tiny pup was rescued after the perilous fall and a night spent in the dangerous shaft.“She's very lucky, I guess, because there was a ridge she was sitting on there. Otherwise, she could’ve went on down, could’ve been finished,” Crain said with tears in his eyes.Crain added that Puppy Dog will no longer be joining him on any off-roading adventures.

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Should Puppy Dog have been with her owner on this off-roading trip to begin with? Tell us what you think in the comments below.