In Morganton, North Carolina, a group of mountain bikers were in Pisgah National Forest riding along the Sinkhole Trail, which got its name because of the giant sinkhole on the main ridgeline. When they stopped to take a break, they heard whimpers coming from a nearby small sinkhole that was 30 feet deep and about six feet wide. They saw a dog who had fallen in and was trapped.
The group called for help, and the Burke County Search and Rescue team responded. Wes Taylor, one of the rescue team’s volunteers, rappelled down the hole to get the dog, who was naturally terrified. He offered some beef jerky pieces to the dog to get his trust. Then he was able to get the dog out of the hole without fuss.
The rescuers decided to name the dog Sinker because they found him in a sinkhole. They took him to the Burke County Animal Shelter. Initial assessment showed that he was dehydrated and very hungry; otherwise, he was fine. They scanned him for a microchip to see if he had an owner, but he had none. Therefore, he was put up for adoption.
Wes felt a connection with Sinker when he rescued him from the sinkhole. He and his wife, Allie, visited Sinker at the shelter to check how he was doing. They were glad to see that the dog was happier and friendlier around people.
The couple went back a couple of days later with one of their dogs so that he could meet Sinker. They saw how Sinker got along well with their dog, so they decided to foster him and probably adopt him if all things went well. Wes and Alli were making plans of having him neutered and microchipped.
Sinker went home with the Taylors. He needed to get used to his new family, but he was quickly warming up to Wes. It was evident that Sinker was happy to have a home.
Photograph from Burke County Search and Rescue via Facebook
