PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Firefighters with Portland Fire and Rescue pulled a family dog from a 3-foot-wide, 10-foot-deep sinkhole that formed in a backyard of a residence on the 8800 block of Newman Ave. in North Portland on March 11.

PFR spokesperson Terry Foster told KOIN 6 News that fire crews responded to the scene at 6:42 p.m., where they found a dog weighing approximately 80 pounds trapped inside a sinkhole. Firefighters requested a response from a “confined-space rescue team,” which successfully attached ropes and a harness to the dog and lifted her to safety.

  • Much pull: Rescuers lift a dog to safety after she became stuck in a sinkhole in North Portland on March 11. (Photos provided by PFR).

“The dog is doing great, no injuries that they could tell,” Foster said.

The dog was returned to the homeowners and plywood was temporarily used to cover the hole to prevent additional emergencies. The cause of the sinkhole is unclear at this time.