It would be days before a man in Longview, Texas, realized the faint noises he was hearing were coming from below his own floorboards.
The unnamed resident heard quiet barking and whimpering and assumed it was coming from the neighbor’s property, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.
Then one day he put his ear to the floor before calling animal control.
“He realized it wasn’t coming from outside; it was actually coming from below,” Jenna George, executive director for Longview Animal Care and Adoption Center, commented.
Upon arrival, animal control officer Bobby Jumper looked under the house, a rental property, and discovered an empty water well below.
At its bottom was a white and brown basset hound mix, barking and wagging his tail upon seeing Jumper.
“He was about as happy as could be to see me,” Jumper said.
Both the unnamed man renting the property and his landlord were unaware of the well’s existence.
Oh, wait! I found one good story this morning. Something I didn’t already know. Now, back to my Bible. https://t.co/qhl5KPV33K
— Heidi Harris (@HeidiHarrisShow) March 5, 2025
Do you have a well on your property?
Yes: 32% (10 Votes)
No: 68% (21 Votes)
Ultimately, it took three hours for the fire department and rescue shelter to retrieve the dog from the 12-foot-deep hole.
The rescuers rigged a makeshift sling made of webbing and rope to retrieve the dog.
“It took multiple people, and a lot of different tools and equipment,” Jumper said.
[embedded content]
Despite the tight conditions working underneath the floorboards, the mission was a success.
“The dog just came straight up, unscathed from the lift,” Jumper said. “It was an amazing feeling to get the dog out.”
The rescuers covered the well and gave the dog food and water, reporting that he licked the bowl clean.
They determined he had been down there for several days, and possibly longer, and that he was likely a stray, since he didn’t have a microchip or identification.
They named him “Timmy” as a reference to a 1955 episode of “Lassie,” in which a character falls into a well.
Aside from an inflamed ear and some minor cuts, “Timmy” was fine, said a veterinarian at Longview Animal Care and Adoption Center.
The animal shelter posted the dog’s story on Facebook, and on Feb. 27, a woman from Dallas, Texas, adopted him.
“She gave us a call and said, ‘I saw the picture. I’m in love with this dog and I’d love the opportunity to adopt,’” George said.
“He’s such a love bug. We’re definitely glad we had a happy outcome,” George said.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
