Sorrento Valley, CA – A California family is counting their blessings after rescuers recovered their deaf dog from a ravine near their home in Sorrento Valley. The San Diego Humane Society‘s Emergency Response Team (ERT) was dispatched earlier this week after an 8-year-old Australian shepherd named Hobo slipped into a ravine near his family’s property.

An ERT Humane Officer descended over loose rock to reach Hobo, who had slipped 100 feet down the steep hill. The first officer called for assistance after determining that the drop was too dangerous to maneuver alone.

In a social media post, the animal welfare agency recounted the rescue effort that saved Hobo:

Members of the ERT Technical Response Unit rushed to the scene, setting up safety lines to rappel down the steep terrain. Five team members were required to cut the dog free from brush with a saw before securing him for the climb up.

It took four hours to get Hobo safely back up to his anxious owners, who credit the rescuers with saving his life, saying:

 “It was a miracle. I mean thank God for the Humane Society.”

(Images via San Diego Humane Society Facebook page)

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