Dog stood guard over trapped canine companion for an entire week

A dog stood guard for her trapped canine companion for a week in what has been called “a true and humbling example of the power of love".

Tillie, a setter, and Phoebe, a bassett hound, were missing for a week on Vashon Island in Washington (USA) before volunteers from the Vashon Island Pet Protectors (VIPP) went to their rescue.

A setter, a dog breed similar to Tillie's

The nonprofit animal rescue organization VIPP had posted photos of the dogs on their Facebook page, hoping someone would spot them. On September 14, the group was alerted of their suspected whereabouts by a member of the public.

A bassett hound, just like Phoebe

Based on the tip, volunteers made their way into the ravine. After a bit of searching, the volunteers heard a small one-woof response when they called out to Tillie. A few minutes later they found Tillie sitting - in a show of solidarity - above a cistern, inside which Phoebe was trapped, perched on a piece of concrete which had kept her out of the water on the other side.

Downtown Vashon in Washington (USA)

Writing on its Facebook page, VIPP said,

“We received a call from a community member reporting that for the past few days a ‘reddish’ dog had been coming up to them when they were out on their property and then promptly heading back into a ravine. With a bit of a needle-in-the-haystack hope, we made our way into the ravine and after a bit of searching, finally heard that sweet sound we had been waiting for all week.”

An example of a ravine – this one being the Homole Ravine in Poland – which is a landform with relatively steep sides, from erosion caused by a stream

It turned out that for nearly a week Tillie stayed by Phoebe’s side with the exception of a few minutes each day when she went for help. Both dogs were cold and hungry but are now doing well.

A cistern is often built to catch and store rainwater

(All images - credit: Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licence)