Firefighters free dog from rabbit hole near Lennoxtown
- Published
A dog had to be rescued by firefighters after disappearing down a rabbit hole in East Dunbartonshire.
The four-year-old Jack Russell called Hook had been out for a walk with his owner Kevin McKenna near Lennoxtown.
Mr McKenna and his family tried to coax Hook from the hole he scrambled down, but he was stuck.
Firefighters used a telescopic camera to find the dog, then spent several hours over two days digging away tonnes of soil and stone to free him.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was alerted at about 16:20 on Saturday.
Firefighters had to suspend their rescue operation when it became dark, before resuming their efforts the following day. Hook was pulled free at 09:00.
'Tough few days'
Station Manager Brian Byrne said: "It was a great feeling to be able to reunite Hook with his owner.
"Our firefighters worked tirelessly as a team, using state-of-the-art specialist equipment, as well as manually digging what probably amounted to as much as five tonnes of soil and stones.
"In what was a physically demanding task, our crews showed extreme professionalism and compassion throughout, and showed exactly what being a firefighter means."
Stephen Cobain, the brother-in-law of Hook's owner, said: "When Hook was rescued we all felt such a relief.
"We took him to the vet for a check-up and he's totally fine - he's now jumping about as if nothing happened.
"It was a tough and emotional few days, but the firefighters did such a fantastic job.
"A huge thank you to them from all of our family."