Dog rescued after being buried alive

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Whimpers a man heard while doing yard work turned out to be a dog buried alive in a neighbor’s backyard. Robbie Wilson said he peaked over his fence and saw the dog’s nose poking out of the ground Sunday, a day after he first heard the cries for help. It was not known how long the dog was buried.

Wilson’s fiancee, Melissa Vanderpool, called for help. The responding animal control officer, Wilson and one of his friends spent more than a half hour using shovels to carefully dig out the dog.

Once out, it walked around and then collapsed. It’s being treated at an animal hospital for dehydration.

“The dog was in the ground,” Vanderpool said. “It had dirt all over it. I don’t know how it got there. It seems like every few minutes he stretched his neck up and could get his nose through the (small) hole.”

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office was investigating it as an animal cruelty case. Sgt. Mike Ward said no one has been charged and declined to release information regarding the owner of the property where the dog was found.

Bruce Rova, director of the Escambia County Animal Regulation and Control, said the dog was expected to recover.

“It’s pretty severe. I’d compare it to the worse case I’ve ever seen.” Rova said. But “it looks like it’s going to make it. That is what I am so happy about.”