Jogger Helps Rescue Dog Buried Under Rocks on a San Francisco Beach Before Dangerous High Tide
San Francisco Animal Care and Control/Instagram (2)
A dog named Gwen is back home after ending up buried underneath huge, heavy rocks along a San Francisco beach.
SF Animal Care and Control shared details about Gwen's rescue on Instagram Friday. According to the organization, the "dog was buried under large rocks on Ocean Beach, down near the sewage treatment plant."
Rescuers from SF Animal Care and Control were able to get the pup out of the tight spot while the tide was "coming in," but before it got close to the canine.
"It is beyond lucky that we even got this call," SF Animal Care and Control continued in its post, sharing that a jogger on the beach found the dog after hearing a sound.
He "thought he heard a muffled bark, turned around, but no one, human or dog, was in sight. He decided to look around in the rocks, and he miraculously spotted a dog's face looking up from under the rocks," SF Animal Care and Control wrote.
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After discovering the dog, the jogger reached out to SF Animal Care and Control for help freeing the pet.
"Officer Ortega was able to find her (no small feat in itself), move large rocks, and pull her out," the city's only open-door shelter added about the rescue.
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In a statement to PEOPLE, SF Animal Care and Control spokesperson Deb Campbell says they're "incredibly proud of our Animal Control officers and the things they do to rescue animals. We're happy Officer Ortega was there for Gwen when she needed help."
After Gwen was safe, officers discovered the 1-year-old English springer spaniel had a family looking for her. SF Animal Care and Control noted in its post that the dog's guardian "had already called ACC to report her missing," so Officer Ortega drove Gwen straight home.
San Francisco Animal Care and Control/Instagram
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"Gwen was reunited with her family in Noe Valley, scared and cold, but otherwise OK," the organization added before concluding in the post that while it is unclear how the dog "got into that tiny area," everyone "is glad she's now safe and sound at home!"
