Plumbing Apprentice's Quick Thinking Saves Trapped Pug in Dramatic Byford Rescue
A plumbing apprentice from a family-owned business in Byford has been praised as a hero after successfully rescuing a baby pug that had become trapped in a sewer line. The dramatic incident unfolded earlier this week when Mundys Plumbing and Gas received an unusual emergency call.
Unusual Emergency Call Sparks Swift Response
The plumbing company, which has served the Perth community for fifteen years, received a concerning phone call on Tuesday from a worried pet owner. The caller suspected her young pug had somehow managed to wriggle into the sewer pipes at her Byford property. Third-year plumbing apprentice Daniel Sanders had just arrived at the office when his boss approached him about the situation.
"The boss comes up to me and says to grab the camera and go to this job," Daniel revealed to PerthNow. "I asked, 'What's going on there?' He said a dog has fallen down a drain — I actually thought he was joking, but I think even the boss was a bit shocked."
Drain Camera Reveals Shocking Discovery
As a fellow dog owner, Daniel quickly raced to the Byford property to assist. Upon investigation, the plumbing team discovered that an inspection outlet had accidentally been left open by a previous tradesperson who had worked at the property. The small pug had apparently used this opening to wriggle toward the main toilet connection.
Daniel immediately deployed the drain inspection camera through the pipes in an attempt to locate the missing puppy. After trying multiple angles with "no luck," the twenty-year-old apprentice began pulling the camera back toward the street when he made a startling discovery.
"I sent the camera the other way and sure enough, there he was," Daniel described the heartwarming moment. "Honestly, I stared at it for like twenty seconds or so just to make sure he was alive — and thank God, he was."
Two-Hour Rescue Operation Ends Successfully
The rescue operation required the plumbing team to remove the toilet and reach down the pipe to extract the frightened puppy. The entire effort, from receiving the initial phone call to successfully retrieving the pug, took approximately two hours.
Remarkably, despite spending hours trapped in the sewer line, the puppy emerged mostly unscathed from his ordeal. "He was shaking for a bit and was hungry, but that was pretty much it," Daniel reported. "I'm surprised he survived, to be honest. It's pretty wild."
Community Praise and Special Tribute
Mundys Plumbing shared details of the incredible rescue on their Facebook page, praising their third-year apprentice for his "talented" work. The plumbing service noted that this was "definitely a first" for them, even joking about adding animal rescue services to their business offerings.
Local residents quickly responded with praise for the company's noble work. One customer wrote, "OMG what a rescue from Mundys," while another commented, "What a stressful but fabulous outcome, good work Dan the Man!"
The puppy's owner expressed that she "couldn't thank the company enough" for their heroics during what she described as a "hectic" situation. In a touching tribute, the owner revealed she had named the rescued pug "Lil Dan" in honor of the apprentice who saved him.
Daniel confirmed the owner had shared the naming news with him personally after the rescue. "She was so stoked, it's definitely cool," he said. The third-year apprentice also revealed that his colleagues were "jealous" of his role in the incredible saga, joking that "they're jealous they couldn't go and get credit for it."
Daniel reflected on how unusual such situations are for plumbing professionals, noting that plumbers "never see anything moving or living in a drain that makes it out." The successful rescue has brought unexpected attention to the Byford plumbing company and highlighted the diverse skills required in the trade.
