Dogs Rescued from Retention Pond

Toccoa-Stephens County Animal Control and Humane Shelter staff rescue a group of animals from an empty retention pond.

Shelter Director Jeff Roberts said it happened on Monday in the Eastanollee community when they received a call about dogs that were in the empty retention area.

“We got a call there were nine dogs in this area and they were not able to get out on their own because of the sloped walls,” said Roberts.

Roberts said that animal control and shelter staff arrived on scene, along with the Eastanollee Fire Department and the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office.

He said that material put down allowed two of the dogs to get out on their own.

However, Roberts said staff had to go down and get the other seven dogs out themselves.

“The staff had to be lowered down into the retention pond,” said Roberts.  “They had to tranquilize the dogs because they had to carry them back up out of this area.”

He said the fire department had to lift the staff out with the dogs.

After seven hours, Roberts said they had all seven dogs out.

While the two that did get out on their own got away, Roberts said that the shelter is evaluating the seven dogs it lifted out.

“Most of them are in fairly good health,” said Roberts.  “A couple of them we have not really been able to deal with medically because they are still stressed out.  Hopefully, they will come around.  One does have an injured paw and the ones we can handle we have started on medications.”

Roberts said that they are not sure how long the dogs spent in the empty retention pond before being rescued.