FIREFIGHTERS with Cesar, a blind dog that was rescued from a hole in Pasadena this past Tuesday. The 13-year-old Cesar lives next to the site with his owner Mary who declined to give her last name. Courtesy Pasadena Fire Department.
September 22, 2022
This past Tuesday around 7 p.m., the Pasadena Fire Department rescued Cesar, a blind dog who wandered onto a construction site and fell into the hole; the hole was about 15 feet deep and 3 feet wide.
Cesar’s owner Mary was alerted by the barking of her other dog calling for Cesar; Mary could tell he was no longer in her yard so she called the PFD, who responded with a search and rescue team.
Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin told the Associated Press that confined-space rescues present unique challenges for firefighters. “There’s a lot of steps we need to do to make it as safe as possible. For not just the dog but also our rescuers,” Augustin said.
The team hooked up a series of ropes and pulleys to lower one team member into the hole. It took the team member about twelve minutes to reach the dog, secure him in a harness and bring him back to the surface.
Cesar appeared healthy and uninjured after he was retrieved from the hole. He shook off a heavy coat of construction dirt and dust and was reunited with his owner at the scene.