Little miracle dog managed to survive 12 days stuck down a badger hole ‘sett’, her owner did not give up hope and camped out in the forest awaiting her return.
The owner is 46-year-old Victoria Hogan who was understandably devastated when her little border terrier ‘Freda’ became stuck underground after scurrying down the sett during her walk.
Hogan set up an eight-day vigil in Lickey Hills Country Park, near Birmingham, England praying for her safe return.
She tried a whole host of tricks to try to coax her furry friend out like cooking bacon and blowing the mouthwatering aroma down the hole with a leaf blower but her attempts were in vain.
Defying all the odds, the pupper resurfaced 12 days later and was spotted on the roadside by three students passing by.
Freda was immediately taken to the vet where she was treated for malnutrition, dehydration, pressure sores, cuts and scrapes.
Not she is safely back at home recovering from the traumatic ordeal with her loving family Victoria, her husband Brian, and their other dog Bert who’s also a terrier.
Victoria and her husband work at the same vet’s, she said, “I camped out for eight days in the hope that Freda would somehow miraculously re-emerge.”
“The Badgers Trust and RSPCA really supported us, while Hereford and Worcester fire service even used specialist listening devices and cameras to try to locate her, but there was no trace.
“On day eight, I just said to myself, ‘I have to give up and begin to grieve’ and went back home, although I did leave her blanket and bowl behind in the park just in case.
“Then, on day 12, I was told three students had found Freda collapsed at the side of a nearby road and I initially feared the worst… When I was told she was alive it felt like a miracle and I ran out of the house to find her.
“She was very weak and bedraggled but she was alive, so we rushed her to Blacks Vets 24/7 emergency hospital in Dudley where my husband Brian is based.
“They were so supportive and accommodating from the moment it happened… By the time we arrived the nurses and emergency team had already organized a heated bed, had fluids and pain relief ready, and were all geared up to treat her wounds.
“Some of our colleagues even came in to help, even though they were not on duty.
“They were all fabulous and I now fully realize just how important it is for the vets to provide a 24/7 emergency service that can make the difference in cases such as Freda’s.”
Brian, clinical director of Blacks Vets shared,
“I’ve been a vet for almost 30 years but Freda’s story is one of the most incredible I’ve ever known.
“She was severely malnourished and dehydrated and had some significant pressure sores as a result of being trapped and wedged underground for so long but, thankfully, nothing that she could not overcome.
“She was hospitalized for two days here at Blacks for treatment and then allowed home to be reunited with her brother Bert and the rest of the family, which was obviously a very happy occasion indeed.”
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