She felt safe there.”
As the founder of Logan’s Legacy, Suzette Hall aims to save as many dogs from the Los Angeles area as possible.
In the best-case scenario, Hall and her team trap a pup needing help shortly after getting the call. But, sometimes, the scene is rife with chaos, complicating the rescue mission.
That’s exactly what happened the other day when a local resident saw someone fluffy living in a sewer drain.
The puppy, a 6-month-old retriever mix, hid inconspicuously below a residential neighborhood for weeks before anyone noticed her. Most people walked right past her, until, one day, a dog lover spotted her and refused to leave her side.
The Good Samaritan posted the pup’s location on Facebook, and soon, hoards of fellow dog lovers started flooding the scene.
“People were showing up with treats and leashes,” Hall told The Dodo. “It was like a tourist attraction. It was crazy.”
Everyone arrived with the best intentions, but their presence made the already scared baby even more terrified.
“She would come out from the sewer and look, but as soon as somebody would come to help her, she would run back in,” Hall said. “She was so far back there, at least 18 feet.”
Burrowed in the back of the sewer drain, which Hall dubbed the “hole,” the puppy evaded her rescuers. She was far out of their reach, and even with long sticks and poles, they couldn’t lure her out
So, after kindly asking everyone else to leave, Hall and her team devised a special plan.
“We knew we had to get her hole covered,” Hall said. “That was the only way we’d have a chance to get her.”
They waited over two days for the dog to venture out of the drain again. When the hungry girl finally made her appearance, the crew covered the hole instantly.
The rescue team breathed a sigh of relief that the dog, later named Cora, couldn’t enter the hole again. But Hall felt a pang of sadness for her.
“That was her little home for two weeks,” Hall said. “She felt safe there.”
Still, Hall knew the best was yet to come for Cora.
With her hole off limits, Cora dashed under a car for safety. The team used baby gates to block the bottom of the car, then Hall slipped a snare leash over her head.
“When they yelled out, ‘Suzette, you got her,’ I literally couldn’t hold back the tears,” Hall said. “We all stood there and sobbed.”
After a long-awaited happy cry, Hall scooped Cora up and drove her straight to Camino Pet Hospital.
Cora received a clean bill of health shortly after her arrival and a much-needed bath. Then, she was officially ready for foster care.
The little girl will be meeting her temporary family soon, but she’s still on the hunt for a forever home.
Until then, Cora will keep kissing her rescuers and thanking them for changing her life.
“She’s so sweet,” Hall said. “And now, she’s gonna feel safe forever and ever.”