Civil Protection Department personnel stationed in Gozo successfully managed the very tricky rescue of a German short-haired pointer dog from a well on the outskirts of the village of Sannat last Saturday.

Gozo SPCA Centre manager Betty Berry was first alerted to the dog’s plight by a phone call made by a child to the SPCA Centre in Victoria. Having searched and located the dog in a deep but dry well, she called the Civil Protection Department. Within minutes, CPD personnel arrived and after talking to local children and observing the conditions in the well, it was discovered that the dog had been trapped down there for three weeks.

A ladder was lowered into the well and CPD member Vincent went down to rescue the dog, while colleague Aaron gave help and support from above.

Vincent showed his skill as a dog-catcher as, with infinite care and a gentle voice, he gradually tempted the dog to take some morsels of food. Having gained the dog’s trust, there followed the difficult manoeuvre to get him back to the surface, which was achieved by making a hoist and hauling him up.

The dog was in a very poor condition – starving and badly dehydrated – and with the sudden rise in temperature, it is doubtful if he would have survived another 24 hours. The children had been throwing him bread and somebody must have given him water, although there was no container in the well to hold water.

The dog’s survival is a mystery. It is thought that he may have been thrown in the well deliberately. However, the dog, now called Vince, is recovering slowly after two days of intensive rehydration at Gozo SPCA Rescue and Rehoming Centre.

If anyone recognises this dog, which is about two years old and, unusually, has a full length tail, or if anyone would like to offer him a home, Gozo SPCA asks that they telephone 9980-7067 or email [email protected]

Congratulations go to Gozo CPD. As the SPCA manager said: “This is just one of numerous occasions when we have had to call for CPD’s help. They never let us down and we greatly appreciate all they do to help us rescue

animals in distress. They handled this terrified animal with the greatest sensitivity and kindness and deserve our heartfelt thanks.”