A chocolate Labrador retriever named Bruno was rescued after spending 27 days trapped at the bottom of a well, eating snow to survive — and he has a canine buddy to thank.
Last week, things weren’t looking so hopeful for the friendly dog from the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Cindy and John Billesberger, Bruno’s owners, had been searching for their missing pet for almost four weeks, calling vet clinics and shelters to no avail. They were especially worried after the temperature plummeted and it began to snow.
But on Oct. 14, they were walking their two other dogs when one of them — a female yellow Lab named Esme ― stopped in one spot and wouldn’t budge. As it turned out, she was standing near a 10-foot-deep abandoned well. Inside the well was Bruno!
Bruno, two days after being rescued. | Facebook
Desautels told CTV News that Esme, Bruno and a third lab named Luna “do everything together” and have a strong bond. And things hadn’t been the same since Bruno disappeared.
“My parents said they noticed a change in the other pups once Bruno went missing,” she said. “They were a bit off, almost depressed.”
Bruno rests after the rescue. | Facebook
But even though he was found, Bruno wasn’t out of the woods yet.
“I’ll never forget what he looked like,” Cindy told the station. “He looked like a skeleton with skin. He was caked in mud and his skin had deep rashes from standing in that murky, wet environment for so long.”
Bruno was severely dehydrated, survived by eating snow at the bottom of the well, veterinarian Catherine Colodey of Prairie Animal Health Centre told ABC.
Bruno recovering. | Facebook
“Despite his rough shape, Bruno’s fighting spirit proved everyone who doubted him wrong,” she said. “Now he’s doing “much better,” she added.
The 7-year-old pup was ultimately transferred to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon to get specialized treatment.
Desautels said her parents are grateful to the “amazing” veterinarians at the different clinics who have helped Bruno. “Amidst Bruno’s recovery is a side story of human compassion and willingness to help,” she said in a Facebook message.
Bruno plays with his buddies Emes, the yellow lab and Jasper. | Facebook
Billesberger told The Huffington Post that the college is aiding with the cost of physical therapy, a pet food company has offered to cover food costs and people have offered them places to stay in Saskatoon near the vet clinic, which is five hours from their home.
We hope they all have a big doggy party when Bruno comes home.
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