Jose Santana was servicing the septic system on his North Fairview Street property. He did not see Ken fall.
By the time he did, his 8-year-old Shih Tzu was 12 feet down.
What Happened on Monday
Johnston police said the incident happened Monday, October 5, on North Fairview Street in Johnston, Rhode Island. The sewer access point had been opened for routine maintenance when Ken fell through.
The opening was 12 feet deep. Ken is a small dog.
How Two Fire Departments Got Involved
As WJAR reported on Ken’s rescue, Johnston and Cranston firefighters along with animal control officers responded and set up a pulley system over the opening to bring Ken to the surface.
He was pulled to safety at approximately 12:20 p.m. He was covered in waste.
An X-ray revealed Ken had sustained a minor skull fracture from the fall.
Pulley rescues for dogs in confined spaces have become more common than most people realize. When a husky fell 30 feet into an abandoned mine shaft in Utah, search and rescue used the same principle a creative rigging system over a narrow opening to bring the dog back up.
What a 12-Foot Fall Into a Septic Tank Actually Means
This was not a storm drain with a small gap. A septic access point during servicing is an open hole with no barrier and nothing to slow a small dog that wanders too close.
A 12-foot fall at the bottom of a confined tank is survivable for a dog Ken’s size, but it is not minor. The skull fracture confirms the impact was significant.
Ken is not the first small dog to survive a deep fall into an underground hazard. Maisy, a dog in South Carolina, fell 50 feet into an abandoned well and was pulled out alive by firefighters after 90 minutes. Ken’s drop was shorter, but the principle was the same.
Have you ever had a close call with an open hazard on your property while doing maintenance work? Tell me in the comments.
Why Open Access Points Are a Real Risk for Small Dogs
Small dogs have almost no awareness of depth or drop hazards. They follow their owners, investigate openings, and move quickly toward anything that smells interesting.
A septic tank during servicing smells very interesting to a dog.
According to ASPCA’s guidance on keeping pets safe during home repairs, home improvement and maintenance work introduces physical hazards that pets investigate out of curiosity. The recommendation is to confine pets to a safe area away from any active work zone.
Open maintenance hazards are one risk. Halloween brings a different set of them. These Halloween safety tips for dog owners cover what else tends to go unnoticed when there is extra activity and distraction around the house.
Key Takeaways
- Ken, an 8-year-old Shih Tzu, fell 12 feet into an open septic tank access point on North Fairview Street in Johnston, Rhode Island on Monday, October 5.
- Owner Jose Santana was servicing the system when Ken fell through the opening.
- Johnston and Cranston firefighters and animal control used a pulley system to rescue Ken at 12:20 p.m.
- Ken was covered in waste and an X-ray revealed a minor skull fracture.
- Ken survived.
He Came Out
Two fire departments built a pulley system over a septic tank access hole to bring an 8-year-old Shih Tzu back to the surface.
That is what happened on Monday in Johnston, and Ken is alive.
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Details are based on public reports and may change.