VIDEO: 5 puppies rescued from 65-foot dry well in Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE/Gray News) - Five puppies were rescued from a 65-foot dry water well in Washington Parish, according to the Humane Society of Louisiana.

Officials say the rescue teams spent three days in blistering August temperatures after the owner of the property reported five puppies had fallen into a well.

WVUE reported that teams tied leashes together for a type of webbing and enticed the puppies to walk onto the webbing by putting food in the middle of it. Rescuers were able to pull on a rope that closed the leashes gently around each puppy. The leashes acted as a harness that allowed rescuers to pull the puppies 65 feet to safety.

The puppies were transported to Mandeville Animal Hospital where they are being treated for intestinal parasites and diarrhea. A few puppies reportedly had minor skin issues.

Overall, authorities say the puppies were in good health, have good appetites, and are eating solid foods.

“We felt hopeless and felt this was an impossible task but we could not just give up and not try. We are relieved and overjoyed at the outcome!” Jessica Cameron, Director of Animal Services for the Humane Society, said.

“In my 33 years of work in this field, I’ve never seen a rescue operation quite like this one. There were so many obstacles to overcome, but the rescuers never gave up and succeeded against difficult and long odds. I could not be prouder or more grateful for their efforts,” HSLA Director Jeff Dorson said.

Copyright 2021 WVUE via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.