Rescuers Save Stranded Puppy Making the Saddest Face After Getting Trapped by Raging Floodwaters

A small dog was saved from rising floodwaters in Oxnard, Southern California, on Tuesday morning.

On October 14, Ventura County Animal Services (VCAS) responded to a call after a passerby spotted a small dog trapped in a storm channel following heavy rain. Animal control officers quickly located the frightened pup about 10 feet down the wash. VCAS then teamed up with the Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) to perform a delicate rescue. In footage of the operation, the little dog can be seen shivering and looking scared.

According to the VCFD, “The dog was stranded on a small patch of reeds and debris in the middle of the Revolon Slough’s concrete channel, surrounded by fast-moving water and steep walls.”

To bring her to safety, firefighters extended a 35-foot ladder, allowing a rescue swimmer to reach the dog and carry her back to dry ground. The dog — believed to be a 3-year-old female pug or French bulldog mix — was “cold and trembling, but otherwise uninjured,” VCAS said.

After the rescue, she was taken to VCAS’s Camarillo shelter for a full checkup and a warm place to rest. The dog had no microchip or ID tag, and officials are working to locate her owner.

“Huge thanks to the Ventura County Public Works team for reporting the sighting so quickly,” VCAS wrote on Facebook. “We’re also deeply grateful to the Oxnard City Fire Department for responding immediately, and to the Ventura County Fire Department for executing the rescue.”

The VCFD added in a statement, “Thanks to the skill and teamwork of our firefighters and swift-water rescue team, this frightened little pup is now safe.”