Seaton Park dog: Pup digs his way to safety after being trapped underground for three days in an Aberdeen park

A PET dog managed to dig his way to safety after being trapped underground for three days - thanks to a friend’s dog sniffing out his location.

Cavapoo Bear sparked a major rescue operation after he went missing during a walk in Aberdeen’s Seaton Park on Thursday.

Frantic owner Dasha Samatoina, 29, feared the worst when there was no sign of him after a day and began to suspect her pet had been snatched.

But with no sightings, dog behaviour experts were convinced he was trapped underground and fire and rescue crews, drone pilots, drainage firms, and specialists with climbing gear were all drafted in to help.

Seaton Park dog: Pup digs his way to safety after being trapped underground for three days in an Aberdeen park

Bear was finally located on Sunday evening - after a nine-year-old dachshund called Lola, who they had been walking with the night he vanished, led them to the hole he had gone down.

His emotional owner, who was only visiting the city for the weekend, yesterday (Monday) said she was “hysterical and crying” after finding her five-year-old pet who she feared she would “never see again”.

After taking advice over the phone from an expert tracker, she said: “We were advised to let my friend’s dog guide us because their hearing is different to ours and she might hear him whining or barking. And that’s exactly what happened. She led us to one of the holes on a site we had not properly looked at and she was very persistent to go down the hole.

“I just started screaming at it. I was hysterical and crying. The thought of him being down there in the cold and dark terrified me.”

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But advised to keep noise to a minimum, she gently called Bear’s name until he was finally freed.

She even put items of clothing down the hole so the animal could pick up her scent and find the exit.

Ms Samatoina, from London, said: “I think he was a few feet down because his [bark] was quite muffled. But I could feel he was digging under the ground - I was just hoping he was going the right way.”

The dog spent the night at Vets Now in Aberdeen where he was treated for sand in his eyes, scratches to his nose and given fluids as he was dehydrated after his near 60-hour ordeal.

Ms Samatoina said: “It is amazing how strong he is to be able to dig himself out after three days with no food or water. The vets were shocked that he was fine.”

The lecturer had been visiting a friend in the city for the weekend when their dogs ran off around 9pm on Thursday.

It is thought the animals both ran down a rabbit or fox hole, but as Bear is much bigger than Lola, he got stuck and was unable to make his way back.

Fire crews were called but were unable to track the dog and his owner put an appeal out on social media for someone with a drainage inspection camera.

Within minutes hundreds of people and businesses were providing offers of help and support.

A drone with thermal imaging was also called in to help with the rescue, as well as climbing specialists, dog behaviour specialists and other concerned members of the public.

Posting on social media to thank everyone who rushed to Bear’s aid, Ms Samatoina said it had been an “emotional three days”.

She added: “It’s been incredible how everyone came together and offered their support and got an amazing team of people together in a matter of 30 minutes onwards. Honestly without everyone’s help he would never have been found and reunited alive with me.”

She praised “the people of Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire” for their “kind words of support and encouragement”.

She said: “It is testament to their kindness and willingness to do that for a dog [that he was found]. I am so grateful to everyone. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.”

Bear and his owner were expected to return home to “familiar surroundings” in London last night [Mon] to fully recover from their ordeal.

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “We were alerted at 4.01pm on Saturday, May 20 to reports of a dog stuck down a rabbit hole at Seaton Park, Aberdeen. Operations Control mobilised one fire appliance to the area. Crews were not required and left the scene.”

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