In Lacombe, Louisiana, 17-year-old Meatball—a deaf and blind Shih Tzu mix—went missing from his home and spent a harrowing 30 hours stuck in storm drains before rescuers heroically pulled him to safety and reunited him with his family, according to local news.
Almost a full day after Meatball disappeared, his guardians feared they might never see him again. Then, they heard barking coming from a storm drain by their home, and his AirTag pinged from a nearby road.
Firefighters and Department of Public Works staff were soon called to the scene and launched a search, crawling through tunnels filled with spiders and other critters, and even breaking apart the street—but found no sign of him. Unfortunately, the AirTag had only marked Meatball’s last known location before it stopped working.
Still, the crews persevered, and after spending more than three hours crawling through roughly a quarter mile of dark drainage tunnels, they finally located the trapped dog.
Fortunately, Meatball emerged unscathed and was soon reunited with his family, who brought him home for a long-awaited meal, a warm bath, and an abundance of cuddles after his big adventure.
“We not only serve humans, but we also serve and help to save the lives of animals, puppies,” St. Tammany Fire Protection District 3 Chief Michael Geissler told local news. “They’re family to all of you as our community, and they are family to us as well.”
Lady Freethinker is grateful to the dedicated rescuers who refused to give up on Meatball, showing just how much compassion and determination can achieve.
