Medford, NJ Firefighters Rescue Dog Stuck in Pipe

Dylan is an explorer.

The 8-year-old coonhound is a breed known to follow their nose.

And that’s what got him into trouble.

For hours Saturday evening, Dylan found himself stuck 150 feet into an 18-inch storm drain pipe in Medford Township, touching off an all-night, team rescue effort to save the dog. Five hours and 47 minutes after the first 911 call, they freed Dylan and rushed him to an animal hospital, the Medford Fire and EMS department said.

Jericho’s Wish Animal Rescue Founder Shellinda Fisher-Hardie, who received Dylan in 2015, said he was staying at a foster home when he got out the door, and had been missing since July 15.

The rescue operations on Quail Ridge Court in Medford began shortly after 7 p.m. on Saturday. The dog’s foster owner could see Dylan laying on his side and not moving, and had called 911 after two to three hours of trying to get the dog to move, the fire department said.

Fire officials said the dog was about 140 to 150 feet into the drainpipe and was visible from one end of the drain, leading to a decision by fire department and public works officials that they needed to dig down to the pipe and cut through it to free the dog.

The rescue led the fire department, public works employees, cops and even residents to grab shovels to help dig Dylan out.

“It’s incredible to live in Medford Township and it’s representative of the community we live in. We’re a small town and everybody came together, it was a team effort of everybody that was there that made that rescue, Medford Fire Chief Robert Dovi said.

But while they sought to free the dog, they discovered two power lines directly over the pipe that made it dangerous to cut the pipe. The fire department called Atlantic City Electric Co., which responded to the scene, and an employee protected the lines and chiseled into the storm pipe, the fire department said.

This was key, Dovi explained, as they held 7,000 volts of electricity. “So as this thing developed, more partners became involved in this in this rescue, and it’s truly was a team effort.”

The noise, meanwhile, finally encouraged the injured dog to start slowly crawling to the pipe opening.

Medford Fire Lt. Chris Rabbuttino used an extension pole with a hook and snared the dog’s collar while it was about 25 feet away. While Dylan tried to bite the pole, the firefighters slowly brought him to the opening.

Dylan was bloody and had other injuries, and a waiting Medford police car took him to Mount Laurel Animal Hospital.

Fisher-Hardie also watched the rescue, saying she was, “Scared to death and amazed at the same time on how many people came together for dog they’ve never met.”

After arriving at the animal hospital, Fisher-Hardie said Dylan had 104-degree fever, abrasions on his paws from the heat of the pipe, a deep laceration, and stiffness.

“He also tested positive for tic disease, which we thought would happen because he had ticks all over him and of course he’s like stiff while walking from being in that position for seven days,” Fisher-Hardie said. “... If he would have stayed in that pipe another day, he probably would have died.”

Donations to Dylan’s medical expenses can be made here, or here.

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