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Owner thanks crews who saved dog stuck down well

Alex Pope
BBC News, Northamptonshire
Corby Fire Station A dog in the bottom of a well, wearing a green harness, by metal cylinders, he is looking up at the camera, the dog is black, white and brown in colour. Corby Fire Station
Jimmy was eventually found after firefighters heard him barking

The owner of a dog that was stuck down a 13ft (4m) well for 11 days said she could not thank firefighters enough for "saving his life".

Dorota Gruszczynska said 10-year-old Jimmy, a corgi cross, went missing on 21 June while on a walk in Corby, Northamptonshire, and she was finally reunited with him on 2 July.

She said the much-loved pet was on a walk when he chased after something and did not come back.

After she posted online and got the local community involved to help find him, he was eventually found wedged under some cylinders and was lifted to safety.

Corby Fire Station Four firefighters, one in the middle, holding a dog, they are all wearing dark T-shirts and trousers. A woman, second from the left, has shoulder length dark hair, white trousers and a blue top. They are all standing in front of a fire engine. Corby Fire Station
Ms Gruszczynska said she could not thank firefighters enough for finding Jimmy

Ms Gruszczynska said Jimmy "chased something, maybe a deer and did not come back".

"We searched the area so many times and nothing, we created posters, put them online and sent them around the local area," she added.

She also contacted Thermal Drone Support Bedfordshire to help.

After he had been missing for several days, she "started to lose hope" and added: "We thought he had been hit by a car and we would never see him again."

Corby Fire Station A dog at the bottom of a well, but a large number of cylinders. You can just see park of his fur, that is black and white. The cylinders are dirty. Corby Fire Station
Jimmy was found stuck under cylinders at the bottom of a well

Then on 2 July, she got a message from a firefighter saying they thought they had her dog.

She said: "Firefighters had been called to the area, and had heard him barking, they asked if he had a green harness on and told me he was alive.

"It was near where we had lost him, we had called him so much in the area, but never heard him barking. We couldn't believe it was him."

She continued: "We're so grateful for everyone who helped, including the drone company. They did a huge amount of work, purely out of their heart.

"So many people shared the cause, and it helped as the firefighters knew to contact me."

Corby Fire Station A picture of a well, showing metal steps down to it, several cylinders in it, Corby Fire Station
Items were moved by fire crews so they could get to Jimmy and bring him to safety

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed a Corby crew was attending a nearby fire when they heard the sound of a dog barking that was found down a well on Stephenson Way.

It said crews used a reach pole and lines to lift cylinders off Jimmy, so he could be lifted to safety.

After searching local missing dog pages, it was able to contact his owner, it added.

Dorota Gruszczynska A corgi cross, brown, black and white dog, looking to the left, with a harness on with a green lead. Dorota Gruszczynska
Ms Gruszczynska believes Jimmy was able to stay alive by drinking water in the well

Ms Gruszczynska said Jimmy was taken to the vets to be checked over, and was found to be really hungry but not dehydrated.

"He's back on his feet, he's recovered surprisingly well, we don't know how he survived, there must have been water in the well," she added.

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