Jesse Rochette is no stranger to the wonders of the underground world. Over the years, he’s been awestruck at the sight of glow-worms, salamanders, giant crickets, fossils, bat colonies and crystals during his caving expeditions. But nothing could prepare him for what he discovered deep within a cave in Giles County, Va.: a wounded dog, trapped 50 feet below ground.
Rochette, an experienced caver, had started his caving expedition with three friends. The cave they decided to explore featured a vertical entrance, which required the use of ropes to drop down into the sinkhole. As they made their way to the bottom, Rochette spotted the frightened dog.
The first thing I did was offer her a slice of salami,” Rochette recalled. “She snatched it right up.”
It was pure luck the group found the injured pup. “It was just complete happenstance that we chose that cave,” Rochette said. “There are so many caves that we could have gone to.” As the dog ate the food, the cavers realized she was injured.
The cavers found an injured dog in the bottom of what should have been an empty cave. Photo courtesy of Jesse Rochette
Rochette, who is also a wilderness first responder and former EMT, knew the pup needed help. “She let me pick her up,” said Rochette, who moved the pup onto a foam pad for comfort and warmth. “She instantly relaxed down into my arms and was like, ‘okay, you’re here to help me.’”
The group quickly began to form a rescue plan. They wrapped the dog in tarps, a space blanket and an old jacket to keep her warm. Water was offered, but she would only drink directly from Rochette’s fingers. It was evident she was in pain, but she let Rochette move her onto a foam pad for comfort.
The rescue mission was complicated. They had some emergency equipment but nothing designed for a dog. So they improvised and made a makeshift harness from a tarp and webbing. Rochette stayed with the dog, making sure she stayed calm as they pulled her out of the cave using pulleys, carabiners, and ascenders.
The cavers wrapped the injured dog in layers before attempting to rescue her. Photo courtesy of Jesse Rochette
“It gets narrower as you go down, and then it opens up again,” Rochette said. He guided them around the rocks, and after about three hours they finally reached the surface. “As we came up into the fresh air, she lifted her nose and started sniffing,” he said.
It was a moment of realization that she was not in the cave anymore.”
Once out, they laid the dog on the forest floor. She was exhausted but Rochette said she seemed happy to finally be out of the cave. They decided to name her SPAR-C, which stands for “small party assisted rescue” with an added C for canine. The team transported her to a nearby animal hospital before she was taken to the Giles County Animal Shelter.
The shelter staff, led by manager Skylar Sojka, were amazed by Sparsy’s resilience. Despite having fallen into the deep cave, she had no broken bones. She did however have a swollen spinal cord, Lyme disease and issues with her back legs. “She was there in total darkness — alone. Some call it fate, some call it luck, but this was nothing short of a miracle,” Sojka said.
Jesse Rochette with a dog he found in a 50-foot cavern in Giles County, Va. Photo by Giles County Animal Shelter
Sparsy’s health continues to improve, and she is now able to walk a few feet. The shelter plans to keep her during her recovery and help her find a new home. The cave, Rochette said, was littered with the bones of other animals that had fallen into the cave and not been as lucky. “This is a success story,” he said. “It felt nice that the cave didn’t get to keep another (animal).”
Sources: Washington Post | CBS
