Life With Dogs: Dog Presumed Dead After Landslide Is Rescued From Rubble 6 Days Later

The Fritts family lost their Seattle home after it broke off its foundation amid a dangerous landslide. Didi Fritts escaped the wreckage on her own, but her husband James was trapped and needed firefighters to save him.

Their dog named Lilli died instantly during the tragedy, so the couple assumed that Sammy, their other dog, had passed away as well. But then a miracle happened. Neighbors heard whining coming from the collapsed house, so rescuers rushed to investigate. The landslide was devastating for Didi and James, but hearing those canine cries gave them hope.

Hope After Tragedy

Remy Olivier was one of the neighbors that helped search through the debris every day after the collapse. They were shocked that they never found any of Sammy’s remains, but then they heard the sound of a dog whining. It came from where they found Lilli’s body.

When the Frittses found out about the whining, they called 911 immediately. Firefighters arrived at the scene, but they were careful when handling the wreckage. Some areas of the house were off-limits since they could further collapse. As they searched, the whining stopped.

“There’s just been no hope,” Olivier said. “We hadn’t been looking for living dogs. We assumed that she was in the crush because there’s not much left of the house. We assumed that she was dead along with her sister.”

Home before and after landslide — Facebook

But then, firefighters found Sammy waiting patiently beside her sister’s body. She’d been there for the past six days, likely surviving off rainwater. Didi cried tears of joy when rescuers confirmed that the dog was alive.

It’s a Miracle!

Firefighters had to carefully cut through the wreckage to get to Sammy without the building collapsing. It took them two and a half hours, but finally, they pulled the canine out of the rubble. Olivier carried the pup back to her humans for a beautiful reunion.

“We just pulled apart the entire floor and we pulled her out,” Olivier said. “She looked like she had just enough room to survive. She wasn’t crushed by anything, or punctured. It’s just unbelievable that she’s still alive.”

Sammy appeared healthy despite what she’d been through, but she was rushed to the vet just to be safe. Her humans gave her lots of hugs and kisses as she lay on a stretcher, waiting for a medical evaluation.

Unfortunately, the couple’s insurance doesn’t cover landslides, so they’re looking to raise $400,000 to repair their home. If you’d like to help them get back on their feet, you can donate to their GoFundMe page.