Kate Hoffman’s 13-year-old Coonhound mix, Bug, is typically the very first to the back entrance of her North Portland home, all set for a reward.
So when she let her 2 dogs in the yard Saturday and just one returned, Hoffman was a bit baffled. She and her young child strolled their big yard calling out to Bug and believed possibly she had actually gotten away.
Then Hoffman strolled to the back of her backyard in the Portsmouth community and discovered a dark area near a thicket of grape vines. It seemed a little hole, however as she got better she understood it was substantial — a 10-foot-deep sinkhole that had actually in some way appeared potentially that day or earlier.
And her dog was at the bottom of it.
“We’re unsure how the sinkhole got there,” Hoffman said today. “It’s an old house built in 1921; we have to have the land surveyed to see if there’s more.”
Hoffman got a next-door neighbor, and they reduced a six-foot ladder into the hole. Bug appeared calm and peaceful, and Hoffman was concerned she may be hurt.
She secured a harness onto the dog, however at 80 pounds, Bug was too heavy to raise. At that point, Hoffman wished to be safe and called Portland Fire & Rescue.
Firefighters showed up and positioned pads on the ground to guarantee they didn’t fall under the sinkhole, then they protected ropes around the dog’s harness and front 2 legs, securely pulling her out.
According to a representative for the Fire Bureau, the dog sustained no injuries and complied in the turmoil.
“I’m grateful that it wasn’t worse, that there was no injury,” Hoffman said.
At completion of the day, Hoffman said Bug was simply happy to lastly get some deals with.
— Lisa Moreno; lmoreno@oregonian.com
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