To the Editor:

This is a shoutout for the folks at Haywood County Animal Services.

Last Sunday (Nov. 19) late afternoon, I heard a dog barking up the drainage pipe in the front of my house. I saw him crawl into the pipe, and never saw him come out. I went down and looked up the pipe and could not see him. I talked with Jeff of the Haywood County Animal Services. He suggested I wait a while and call him if the dog was still in the pipe. 

I checked about 8 p.m. and the dog was still barking in the pipe. I called Jeff, and he came to my house. The dog was still somewhere in the pipe. The pipe runs along the road for about 50 yards, so locating the dog was a problem.

Jeff called for reinforcements, and ultimately two more men (including Doyle Teague, the director) and one woman, Samantha, were on the scene. For four hours, we dug holes in the ground up to three feet deep trying to locate the pipe, and cut into it to locate the dog. Shortly after midnight, we finally were able to see the dog, enlarge the hole in the pipe and free a very happy and hungry red tick coonhound.

I was impressed with the people of Animal Services. They showed a strong desire to rescue an animal in distress and they should be proud of the work they did that night, and every day.

Dave Harrington

Clyde