Missing pet labrador rescued from Victorian mine shaft
Authorities have cordoned off open mine shafts in Central Victoria after a dog missing for four days was rescued from one by specialist volunteers.
Pet labrador Ted fell 8 metres into a shaft in Wombat State Forest, near Trentham, after escaping with labradoodle Penny from their backyard last week.
Penny's barking alerted neighbours who found her guarding the mine shaft on Monday morning, four days days after the dogs went missing.
The Country Fire Authority's (CFA) mine rescue brigade Oscar 1 carried out the rescue.
First Lieutenant Karl Shay said the mine shaft was small and difficult to access.
"There was a log laying over the top of it and the actual opening was only about 800 by 800 millimetres," he said.
The team sent down a monitor to check the air was safe to enter, before a rescuer lifted Ted out in a dog harness.
Mr Shay said there were three other mine shafts within 3–4m of the one Ted was found in.
Mr Shay said it was not uncommon for the specialised crew to be called in for dog rescues.
"Fortunately, when dogs fall in a mine shaft they don't tend to hurt themselves," he said.
"When a human falls in a mine shaft, they tend to do a bit more damage."
The CFA said a number of open mine shafts in the area were red-taped to prevent further incidents.
Ted and Penny's owner Chantal Henderson said in a post on social media that the dogs were "a little lighter than usual, but otherwise excellent".
"Thank you to Ruth and her daughter [who found the dogs] for their perseverance searching the bush after hearing their barking," she said.
"Without you they would never have been found."
Mr Shay said Ted was "very happy to see people" when they arrived.
"He was very glad to be reunited with the family," he said.
Animal behaviourist and University of Adelaide Associate Professor Susan Hazel said as a social species, dogs formed "deep attachments" to other dogs and people, which could explain why Penny waited at the mine shaft with Ted for so long.
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