The yard had been quiet all morning until a noise broke through; a short, uneven cry that didn’t sound like it came from any direction at all. It echoed strangely, low and muffled, as if it were trapped beneath something.
A California resident stopped what they were doing and turned their head toward the rocks. The sound came again, then silence. That kind of silence that makes you second-guess what you heard.
Moving slowly, the resident traced the noise to a narrow gap between two boulders. Nothing visible. Just still air and that faint noise again, somewhere deep inside.
It was clear something was down there, but figuring out how to reach it would be another story.
How Did She Get Stuck There?
When a 3-month-old puppy named Zoe got stuck in a tiny crack, she was extremely lucky that someone spotted her pretty quickly.
A kind resident tried to help, but quickly realized it was going to be difficult, so the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and San Diego Fire confirmed that help was on its way.
The firefighters arrived shortly after and began to assess the situation. They needed to come up with a plan.
The first order of business was to somehow separate the boulders just enough so that they could pull her out. The other was making sure she wouldn’t sink any deeper.
This wasn’t going to be easy. Everything needed to go smoothly, or Zoe could end up getting even more hurt. She looked really scared, and the firefighters heard her cries.
No one really knows how she ended up in this situation, but there was no time to think about that. The rescuers got to work.
An Incredible Solution
They used pneumatic air bags, ropes, harnesses and other equipment. The mission was actually going smoothly, and they were able to separate the boulders.
Once that was done, they were able to pull her out almost immediately. Zoe was a bit scared, but she quickly realized that the danger was over.
She was overjoyed after these people saved her from the boulders. There is very little information on who her owners are, but I hope that they were reunited.
The firefighters wrote on X: “The team pulled Zoe free, muddy but unharmed. After a quick check and a lot of tail wags, she is back home and happy.”
Seeing a story like this just reminds me of how much we humans can help animals when we really put our minds to it.
Just look at Zoe’s story; she was stuck between two boulders and it seemed like there was no escape. Then, by thinking hard and working together, she was saved by amazing people. That’s really inspiring.
When curiosity meets a tight spot… 🐾
— CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) October 21, 2025
In San Diego County, a three-month-old puppy named Zoe found herself in trouble after squeezing between two large rocks and getting stuck. Her owner tried to help, but the space was too tight to safely reach her. That’s when firefighters… pic.twitter.com/hshmDWdfBG