Rescuers Save Foster Dog Missing For Days from N.J. Drain Pipe: 'Unbelievable that He's Alive'

Dylan, the 8-year-old coonhound, likely spent a week trapped in a drain pipe with no food or water

Photo: 6abc Philadelphia/ YouTube

Firefighters, public works employees, and community members banded together to save Dylan, an 8-year-old coonhound who went missing from his foster home over a week ago.

According to WPVI, the rescue dog likely spent much of his time away from his Medford Township, New Jersey, foster home stuck in a drain pipe without access to food or water.

On Saturday, one of Dylan's neighbors heard barking coming from the drain pipe near the dog's foster home and located the missing pet, UPI reported. Dylan's foster owner, caring for the dog on behalf of Jericho's Wish Animal Rescue, tried to coax Dylan back to the pipe's entrance but couldn't get the canine to budge. The foster owner then called 911 for help.

It took a group of firefighters, police officers, public works employees, and electric crew workers hours to free Dylan from the pipe. The dog was back above ground by 1 a.m. on Sunday.

Power lines discovered near the pipe after digging into the ground complicated the rescue. To safely remove Dylan from the drain pipe, utility workers monitored the lines for safety while other rescuers chiseled away at the pipe. The noise from the chiseling ended up encouraging Dylan to walk toward the pipe's entrance, resulting in his rescue.

Dylan required immediate medical care after leaving the 18-inch storm drain pipe. Rescuers rushed him to Mount Laurel Animal Hospital, where the canine arrived with a 104-degree fever, ticks covering his body, and burns on his paws and elbows, according to WPVI.

"This has been the toughest recovery that we've been involved with," Kathleen Tortu-Bowles of Southern New Jersey Humane Tracking and Trapping Recovery Group told the outlet. "We've never had anyone stuck anywhere like that."

"It's very unbelievable that he's alive actually," Tortu-Bowles continued. "It's just a good thing that he was saved when he was."

Since his rescue, Dylan has found a forever home. Once he is healthy enough to leave the animal hospital, the dog will move in with his adoptive family. The veterinarian overseeing Dylan's recovery said the dog is doing incredibly well, per WPVI.

Two fundraisers to help pay for Dylan's medical expenses are currently open on PayPal and Venmo.