Trapped Pet Dog Rescued From Partially Collapsed House 6 Days After Landslide

A pet dog has been rescued from a partially collapsed house in Seattle six days after a landslide devastated the area.

The landslide took place in the state's Magnolia neighborhood on Jan. 7, causing the house to slide off its foundation and leaving one of its owners, James Fritts, trapped inside the structure. The man's wife, Didi Fritts, was able to escape on her own.

James was later rescued from the house, but debris from the collapse killed one of the couple's dogs. The pair's second dog, a black Labrador named Sammy, was initially unaccounted for but was presumed to be dead, reported KING-TV.

Despite this, the Fritts did not lose hope. They even visited the house in hopes of finding Sammy alive.

A miracle then happened Thursday. People outside the couple's home heard the dog cry from inside the building. The Seattle Fire crew was called to the 2400 block of Perkins Lane to help rescue the pet.

However, the rescue was challenging due to the precarious condition of the house, officials said as per the New York Post.

"Because of the landslide that happened last week it is not safe to enter the home so we are exercising extreme caution with our crews," Seattle Fire Department Public Information Officer David Cuerpo said.

Authorities had to reinforce the structure and remove debris before they could cut through floors and walls and safely recover the dog who had been trapped for days.

"My baby, my baby," Didi shouted as she saw one of the rescuers emerge from the house with the 3-year-old dog.

Luckily, Sammy seemed alert when she was rescued. An emotional reunion between the dog and her owners followed. Vets also examined the canine at the scene and described her condition to be stable.

"We [heard] a little cry this morning, and then didn't hear anything when the fire department was here with the chainsaws," Remy Olivier, the family's neighbor said. "We took apart the entire floor, pulled her out and she had just enough room to survive so she wasn't crushed... I guess she was surviving on rainwater the past couple of days."

Earlier this month, a California family had a touching reunion with their pet dog who went missing during the Caldor Fire in the Sierra Nevada mountains in August 2021. Apparently, the pet was rescued by officials from deep snow after being spotted by a skier in the west of Tahoe.