Picture this – an unlikely pair (an 80 lb tortoise and a German Shepherd) bound by an unforeseen predicament within the confines of a garden tunnel.
The local fire department was called when concerned owners couldn’t get them out. In a somewhat bizarre rescue mission, firefighters once again remind us of an indispensable role they play in all kinds of rescue operations.
Check out how these two unexpected companions were safely brought back into the daylight.
The Unlikely Pair Rescued
In 2019, a German Shepherd named Taylor and an 80-pound tortoise who goes by Godzilla gave their owners quite a scare when they got jammed in a tunnel and were desperately calling for help.
Tracy Arballo, and her husband, Don, from Fontana, California, tried everything to rescue their pets, but in the end, they were forced to call emergency services.
Godzilla uses this garden tunnel to hibernate in the winter, and it is quite deep. Usually, it is only Godzilla that goes inside this deep tunnel, but this time, Taylor thought he could join her – failing miserably, if I might add.
Footage from the scene shows a huge tortoise blocking the entrance of the tunnel and Taylor’s head from behind her, barking continuously, asking for help.
The German Shepherd was utterly scared since he probably thought she was never going to get out.
The husband first tried to save the family pets by himself, but unfortunately, he got stuck as well. “I went head first into the tunnel, which I realized shortly after it was a bad move,” said Don.
Feeling quite desperate, the family didn’t have any other choice but to call 9-1-1 and ask the local fire department if they were willing to come help.
Of course, the San Bernardino firefighters were happy to come help as always.
Firefighters To The Rescue
When the San Bernardino firefighters arrived at the scene, they were shocked to find a huge tortoise standing in the way of a scared dog.
Taylor was continuously barking and yelping, not understanding why they couldn’t get him out – his snout hilariously poking behind Godzilla.
True to her name – Godzilla simply wouldn’t budge.
Then, the firefighters came up with a genius idea… to offer Godzilla her favorite snack – lettuce.
That seemed to do the trick. With the help of a yummy treat and the firefighter’s dedication, Godzilla moved a little bit, allowing Taylor to escape the hole.
“I was very relieved. We love our pets. They are part of our family, and we love them,” Don said.
Even the firefighters sighed with relief after Godzilla finally moved after 10 minutes and Taylor could escape, reuniting with his mom and dad.
They don’t know how Taylor got stuck in the garden tunnel with a tortoise, but it seems like he got curious and while exploring the tunnel, he was unfortunately blocked by his friend, Godzilla.
“It appears that the dog had brought a blanket into the tunnel, resulting in the dog, blanket, and tortoise becoming wedged and entangled,” Jeremy Kern, the Fire Captain, told the Daily Mail.
Thankfully, both animals were completely unharmed and reunited with their parents.
Hopefully, this served as a lesson to the curious German Shepherd that he shouldn’t follow his friend, a hefty reptile, into her tunnel ever again.
