We all know dogs love to chase things: their tails, cats, wild animals. It's just in their nature.
This is especially true of beagles — who were specifically bred to chase deer, rabbits, hares and other small game. These scent hounds have a natural tracking instinct and one of the strongest noses of any dog. In one 1950s study, scientists tested different breeds to see how long it would take them to find a mouse hidden in a one-acre field. The beagle found the mouse in one minute, while other hounds took 15, and certain terriers never found it all. Beagles are especially very excitable and prone to distraction. It's no wonder then that a beagle, seeing or smelling a nearby squirrel, would automatically want to chase it.
Unfortunately for Layla, a beagle from Illinois, when she tried to hunt a squirrel, it backfired on her. Layla's owner, Sandra Dyer, was walking her dogs on New Year's Day when she decided to do something she'd never done before: let Layla off the leash to get some exercise.
It went fine for a while, until Layla saw a squirrel. Succumbing to her natural instincts, Layla darted off to get her prize. Sandra said it was like "she disappeared."
What happened next is a story of a 24-hour rescue mission to save Sandra's beloved beagle.
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When Layla darted off, Sandra searched the area for hours trying to find her dog, but the wooded terrain and nighttime blocked her view.
She told her local news station, "By the time I could come around, she was just gone and we didn't have any idea where she was."
Sandra frantically approached neighbors and even the garbageman, to no avail. She had microchipped Layla, but this wasn't going to help, because no one would be able to get to Layla to check her microchip...
Layla had followed the squirrel to a hole in the ground and had gotten stuck in a pipe. Sandra was still unable to find her beagle, so Layla had to spend the night there waiting to be rescued.
The next day, Sandra canvassed the neighborhood again. Layla, with her keen sense of smell, was able to tell that Sandra was nearby and alerted her to her location by barking.
The local fire department raced to the scene and frantically began to clear the mud around where Layla was stuck.
These heroes were able to safely excavate Layla and rushed her to the animal hospital.
Layla was treated for severe dehydration, but at least she was alive and well.
Sandra says she'll never let Layla off her leash in public again, and hopefully Layla has learned a lesson about messing with squirrels. Thank God this story has a happy ending!
Please SHARE this story with friends! You can watch a news report below.
