Firefighters use vacuum to rescue dog

PLUM, Pa., Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Firefighters in Pennsylvania said they used an industrial-strength vacuum to pull a Shih Tzu puppy out of an abandoned well.

Plum Borough Assistant Fire Chief Jim Scuffle said the dog, owned the Palombo family, fell down the well during the weekend and firefighters tried to rescue the pet for three hours without success, WPXI-TV, Pittsburgh, reported Tuesday.

"Eventually, we hooked up an industrial-strength vacuum and sized it down to about 1 inch. We caught on to one of the dog's legs and got it out. It was a miracle," said Assistant Fire Chief Jim Scuffle.

Scuffle said the dog wasn't breathing when it emerged from the well but after a few minutes of mouth-to-snout resuscitation, the puppy began breathing on its own.

"About halfway (to the veterinarian), the dog started to gnaw on my finger a little bit and then it came around," Scuffle said.

The veterinarian gave the puppy a clean bill of health.