Puppy stuck in sewer line for hours rescued by SAWS crews

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Water System crews went into rescue mode on Wednesday.

Some puppies were playing in the front yard of a home in the 700 block of Brunswick on the city’s South Side when three of them fell into a sewer main.

While the San Antonio Fire Department was able to pull two of them to safety, they couldn’t reach the other pup. That’s when firefighters called SAWS and the rescue mission began.

After nearly eight hours, SAWS crews were able to pull out the pup, which they named Pipa, to safety. SAWS officials said the rescue mission was lengthy because Pipa had to be gently nudged with camera equipment 10 feet at a time for 200 feet.

San Antonio Animal Care Services staffed the rescue and took Pipa to a local vet to be checked out so she could be returned to her owners.

SAWS officials said an incident like this is rare and urge residents to make sure any clean-out sewer valves are properly covered.