Emergency responders rescued a dachshund dog that became trapped in a groundhog burrow.
Middletown Township’s animal control officer, public works, and firefighters were called to the rear of a home on Teal Drive in the Langhorne section of the municipality around 10:50 a.m. Friday for the incident.
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“The family came out back and they couldn’t find the dog. They heard a little bit of barking from a wooded area and the dachshund was in the groundhog hole,” Langhorne-Middletown Fire Company Chief Frank Farry said.
Firefighters dug several parallel holes around the burrow and used chainsaws to cut through thick roots. As they were making access to the tunnels in a careful way not to collapse the burrow on the scared dog, the pooch started to come out of a tunnel that was exposed, causing Animal Control Officer Cheyenne Keen to grab the dog, Farry said.
The dog – named Coco – was going to be checked over, but did not appear seriously injured.
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Groundhogs are known for constructing intricate burrows that are designed to avoid flooding, feature sleeping chambers, and have segregated area for waste, according to wildlife rehabilitator Erika K. Yery.
Farry said the burrow was several feet deep.
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The rescue took about 30 minutes.
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