Working Cocker Spaniel Maizi disappeared after falling down a bank in Pittencrieff Park on Tuesday afternoon while on a walk with owner Margaret Cumming.
After around an hour of searching, her husband Garry heard the faint bells on the collar of their pooch, who is deaf, down an uncovered sewer at the Glen and contacted the emergency services.
With fire appliances and specialist crews attending at the scene at around 5pm, a large-scale operation began to free the 14 year old dog who was stranded on a ledge inside the sewer.
Maizi who was rescued after being stuck down a sewer in Pittencrieff Park. (Image: Contributed) “The place was awash with emergency services and they were so professional, so courteous and so compassionate. They were first class,” said Margaret. “Our hopes were up and our hopes were dashed at everything they tried to do.
“The Mines Rescue Tam came out and a drain company came out. People were out with diggers. They tried to access the sewer from the top. The mine rescue team even tried to go down the sewer. It was a brave man doing that.
“The fire brigade had picks out trying to dig the bottom. She was about eight metres down. The mines rescue couldn’t get her, we were down to about plan H.
“They started digging out the bottom with an excavator and the fire brigade came down with a pump and started pumping out the water. They took out the water and out came Maizi.”
Maizi after being stuck down a sewer in Pittencrieff Park. (Image: Contributed) Margaret and Garry then took Maizi to an emergency vets in Kirkcaldy and she is now back at Alba Vets in Dunfermline where she is being observed and cared for while she recovers from her ordeal.
“She is much better than you would expect a 14 year old dog with arthritis. They are just getting her stabilised. She is eating fine and they are going to try and give her a bit of a bath. She did smell like a sewer rat when she came out!
“It was horrifically overwhelming. There should have been a grate covering the sewer.”
Margaret said they had been amazed by all the support they’d received – both at the park and messages through social media.
“We are so grateful to the emergency services, the local community, and everyone who worked so hard to get Maizi out safely,” added Margaret. “It was such a relief to see the rescuers carry her out and hand her over to us, alive, after over eight hours being trapped.
Fire crews on the scene during the rescue operation. (Image: Contributed) “At 14 years old, Maizi has always been full of life, and we’re so thankful to have her back safe and sound. We’re overwhelmed by the kindness and support we received during such a horrific time and cannot thank every one enough”.
Crossgates-based MRS Training and Rescue were one of those on the scene attempting to free Maizi.
Its operations director, Liam Parrish, said they received a request from the fire service to come out shortly before 10pm.
“We tried to assist them as best we could,” he said. “One of our smaller guys tried to enter the space and we had some of our rope rescue system in operation. He attempted to enter the space and try and recover the dog but unfortunately it was just far too tight an area to get in.
Maizi who was rescued after falling down an open sewer in Pittencrieff Park. (Image: Contributed) “We came out and just as we were leaving, after 1am, they said they had managed to break some of the stone away and the dog came out.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said they received a call about a dog trapped in a sewer at around 5pm.
At the time, they said vehicles in attendance included three fire appliances, a high rescue vehicle and a high reach appliance.