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Fire leads to unexpected reunion: Missing dog found in storm drain near fiery crash site
Missing for over a month, a dog was rescued from a storm drain during a car fire response in Massachusetts.
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A dog, missing for over a month, was safely reunited with its family after being discovered in a storm drain by firefighters responding to a car fire in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
(Also read: ‘Guardian’ dog protects 2-year-old: Man recalls how his pet saved toddler missing in Arizona wilderness)
On April 21, the West Springfield Fire Department (WSFD) posted on Facebook, recounting the events that led to the miraculous rescue. According to the post, WSFD and Chicopee Fire Department were called to a vehicle fire on Interstate 91. The fire had caused the vehicle’s gas tank to rupture, spilling gasoline onto the roadway and heading towards storm drains. After rescuing the driver and extinguishing the fire, the fire crews worked to prevent the fuel from entering the drains.
But during their efforts, they made an unexpected discovery: a dog trapped in a storm drain, not involved in the initial incident.
Check out the post here:
A surprise discovery
The dog, later identified as Ally, was safely pulled from the drain and taken to the Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center in Springfield for a veterinary exam and microchip scan. The surprising find unearthed even more good news.
"We don't know how she ended up in there or how long she'd been in there," Renee Robichaud, a supervisor at Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control, told Western Mass News. "I don't think there had been a single sighting yet, until that moment when the car caught on fire."
(Also read: Mumbai dog fights leopard, returns to feed puppies. CCTV footage shows chilling encounter)
A fortuitous turn of events
Lieutenant Dennis Foley of the West Springfield Fire Department also talked athe extraordinary nature of the find. "I think winning the lottery would be better odds than us finding a dog that we weren't looking for," he remarked to Western Mass News.
Firefighter Justin Burchell was the one who first heard Ally’s yelps for help and followed the sound, eventually locating the canine in the storm drain.
After the discovery, the staff at Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control were able to contact Ally’s family and arrange a reunion. The pup, who had been missing for 34 days, is now safely back at home with her owners.
