“The foundation of the home was crumbled …” 😰.
The other day, Michigan Humane received an unusual call from a Good Samaritan who said a puppy appeared to be stuck in the chimney of an abandoned house and could not get down.
Rescuers hurried to the scene and found a dirty brown-and-white puppy peeking out from the top of the chimney. He looked exhausted and frightened, and it was obvious he needed help fast. But when the team tried to go inside the house, they realized the structure was too dangerous because the foundation was crumbling.
That is when they called the Detroit Fire Department for assistance.
Instead of risking entry through the unstable house, firefighters used the aerial ladder from their truck to reach the roof. The puppy, later named Stack, was trembling during the rescue, clearly overwhelmed by everything happening around him.
According to Michigan Humane field agent Abigail Roegner, the rescue team noticed that talking to Stack from the ground seemed to make him more nervous. Once they stopped speaking and kept things quiet, he began sticking his head out a bit more.
By the time the firefighters reached him, he seemed slightly calmer.
They carefully lifted Stack out of the chimney and held him securely until they made it safely back to the ground. Once there, the frightened puppy seemed deeply comforted by being hugged and held.
Rescuers believed he may have been surviving on his own for one or two days before being found, and it was heartbreaking to imagine what he had gone through before help arrived.
At Michigan Humane’s Mackey Center for Animal Care in Detroit, however, Stack quickly began showing signs that brighter days were ahead. Once he settled in, staff saw a happy, playful puppy emerge — one who was excited to meet people and more than willing to accept treats.
Aside from being a little underweight, Stack passed his health exam with no major problems. Over the next few weeks, he enjoyed regular meals, gained strength, and learned how to simply be a puppy again.
Then on April 13, Stack appeared with Michigan Humane on Fox 2 Detroit in hopes of finding a family.
He did not have to wait long.
That very same afternoon, Stack was adopted.
In just a few short weeks, his life changed completely — from being stranded inside a chimney to sleeping safely in a loving home. Michigan Humane and the Detroit Fire Department say his rescue came down to a caring caller, quick teamwork, and the right people stepping in at exactly the right moment.