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Dog survives 15-story fall with hot tub landing

Sam the Boston terrier suffered multiple fractures from his 15-story fall, but is expected to make a full recovery.

By Ben Hooper
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SACRAMENTO, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- A 13-year-old Boston Terrier in California is recovering from multiple fractures after he survived a 15-story fall by landing in a hot tub.

Bill McCourt of Sacramento said his Boston Terrier, Sam, violated the apartment building's ban on pets in the pool area Monday when he plunged from his 15th story balcony and landed in the ground-level hot tub.

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Sam was discovered swimming in the hot tub by two building workers who heard the splash and one of them called Bette Plumb, McCourt's mother, who usually watches Sam while McCourt is at work.

"My first thought was he must have got out and taken the stairs or the elevator or something," Plumb told the Sacramento Bee. "But there's no way he could have gotten out of the condo. All of a sudden, I knew. It hit me immediately: He fell."

"It's absolutely a miracle," she said. "There's no way that dog should be alive."

Veterinarians at the VCA Bradshaw Animal Hospital said Sam, who is partially blind, suffered multiple fractures to his pelvis and ribs. They said the canine, who also suffered a cut to his rear end, is expected to be fully recovered from his injuries in six to eight weeks.

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"His balcony days are over," McCourt said. "He's going to have to sit by the door from now on, though, if I were him, I don't think I'd be running back out there again."

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