Hawke’s Bay: Dog stuck in Te Powe sewage pond saved by social media and lasso

“My son and my husband fell and I blew up the inflatable lilo and by the time I got there they had already pulled it out.”

Milford said Lucky was within arm’s reach of the pond and got stuck after swimming into a thick and “muddy” area. It was unclear how long she had been in her predicament.

“My husband brought her home and hosed her down, and I still have to bathe her.”

Milford said Lucky was very happy to be rescued and was given some food and a bath to wash away the smell.

Although she didn’t get close enough to the pond to smell the stench, Milford said her husband and son said the smell was “offensive.”

The dog, who has 7-week-old puppies, was known to be an escape artist and Milford believed she took the opportunity to go exploring after her son fed her on Thursday night.

“If you don’t close the gate properly, she will find a way out.”

Volunteer firefighter Norm Brown Te Powe Fire Brigade also received a call about a stuck dog.

He said that by the time he arrived at the scene around 7am, the dog had already emerged from the sewage pond, much to his relief.

“I didn’t come close to that,” he said.

He said Lucky was small enough to fit through the netting around the pond, which is why she got stuck.

Brown said social media plays a positive role in alerting firefighters to problems, including local emergency services such as Lucky’s.

“Most of our content is on our social media page, which is a good information page.”

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and works in the Hastings newsroom. She covers news across Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay and loves telling stories about farming and rural communities.