Deaf puppy rescued from hole in Alabama

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Monday, July 2, 2018
Puppy rescued after 30 hours in hole
Crowds cheered moments after a deaf puppy was rescued from a 50-foot hole in Huntsville-Alabama.

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- After 30 hours of effort, volunteers were able to rescue a 7-week-old deaf puppy that fell down a 50-foot (15-meter) crevice behind a house in Alabama.

Volunteers erupted in cheers as the pup - named Toffee - was pulled out of the narrow hole around midnight Saturday with the help of a snare and some food.

Toffee fell into the inches-wide space around 5 p.m. Thursday. Firefighters, cave rescue crews and plumbers joined the rescue effort, lowering nets, snares and food to try to retrieve Toffee.

"Y'all this is a miracle," Karen Smith, the puppy's foster mother, told reporters. Video footage showed the white puppy wagging her tail as Smith cuddled her.

Huntsville television stations drew thousands of followers as they live-streamed the recovery efforts.