Lana Norman, a Southwest Valley resident and animal lover, was stunned when her German Shepherd, Riley, suddenly disappeared while they were on a walk. The pet owner and her pooch were on a sidewalk when the 87-pound dog fell inside a storm drain. Apparently, the metal grate covering the opening was missing, and there was some hay covering the hole. Both of them didn’t notice the concealed opening, and the dog plummeted inside.
Shocked, the woman peered in, and she saw her beloved pooch staring back at her. Riley was around eight feet below and standing on a pile of trash. The distraught lady called 311, the number for non-emergencies, but she couldn’t get through. She then called 911.
Kind neighbor
The emergency dispatcher told her that the line was for human emergencies only. The operator then rerouted her to 311, and while on hold, Lana got in touch with her sister. She told her sibling the story, and it was apparent that the pet owner was becoming frantic. Her sister then asked around for help.
One of their neighbors didn’t hesitate to run over to where Lana was and squeezed himself inside the drain storm opening. He jumped inside and retrieved Riley. Thankfully, the German Shepherd did not sustain any injuries.
Lana was still shaking from anxiety when she and her pet walked back to their home. She was very grateful for her kind neighbor’s assistance.
Tackling the problem
Lana was concerned, though, that the opening was still there. She was worried that a child or a senior could fall inside and seriously hurt themselves. Using an app, she reported the matter to the city officials. She checked on the storm drain a week earlier and was dismayed at what she found.
Instead of replacing the missing metal grate, they used a makeshift solution. The whole was covered with a thin wooden board. Lana is still raising the matter to provide a permanent and safe solution.
Source: 8NewsNow.com
