Brave SPCA employee rescues dog trapped in deep hole near Khutsong
A Carletonville SPCA staff member risked his safety to rescue a dog trapped for days in a deep hole near Khutsong. With unexpected assistance from illegal miners, the dog — now named “Survivor” — was brought to safety and is looking for a new home.
What began as a distress call from a concerned resident ended in a remarkable act of compassion, as a Carletonville SPCA employee rescued a stranded dog from a deep hole this week.
A governing committee member and office manager of the Carletonville SPCA, Wanda Kramer, says they received a call from a member of the public about a dog that fell into a deep hole between Khutsong South and Welverdiend on November 20.
The team rushed to the hole at the large illegal rubbish dump in the area and soon spotted the dog inside. The hole was several metres deep. Even though firemen warned against the rescue due to safety reasons, an SPCA staff member, Jacob Moroke, felt that he had to rescue the dog because it would die of hunger and thirst if left inside the hole.
“Jacob said that he trusted us and went into the hole, not even knowing whether the dog might be aggressive or not. We also did not know whether it was maybe injured,” says Kramer.
When Moroke reached the dog, the animal showed no signs of injury and was not aggressive at all. Another surprise came when a group of illegal miners arrived at the site while the rescue was going on.
“They circled us, and we were a bit worried, but when they heard what we were doing, two of them volunteered to help,” Kramer added.
Moroke rigged the dog to keep it safe while the group pulled them from the hole. There were some tense moments as loose ground around the hole started falling on top of Moroke and the dog as they were getting closer to the surface.
“This was nerve-wracking, and we were worried that the hole might start to collapse, but Jacob just pulled his chin in, and he and the dog were pulled out safely,” explains Kramer.
The rescue took about two hours. The dog, which another SPCA staff member named “Survivor”, was very friendly but extremely thirsty, and the team suspected that she had been inside the hole for about four days. It is not clear how she fell in.
“This was an unusual incident, but this is what we are here for – to protect and help animals in the area,” says Kramer.
“Survivor” is now looking for a new home, and anyone who wants to adopt her can contact the Carletonville SPCA on 018 788 6262.
