Finding Freda

Victoria Hogan was out walking her two border terriers Freda and Bert when the worst imaginable scenario happened: out of curiosity, Freda raced directly down a badger's hole.

Now wild badgers are no joke, known for their aggressive nature and hostility. And while Victoria called and called for Freda to return, she was only met with the darkness of the burrow in front of her. 

• Some necessary context: In the UK, it's illegal to disturb a badger's tunnel like the one Freda had disappeared within. 

🐶⛺️ No friends left behind ... Victoria knew that odds were slim for Freda's survival against any badgers she may run into underground. Badger burrows are a complex system of tunnels with various entrance and exit points. 

• Regardless, the devoted owner camped out for eight days at the site of her dog's disappearance. As the days went on, however, Victoria's hope dwindled. 

🥓🎧 Getting creative... Victoria did everything she could think of to coax Freda out of the hole. She cooked fresh bacon and wafted the smell down the hole with a leaf blower. When that didn't work, she played recordings of her other terrier Bert in hopes of Freda hearing and coming towards the sound.

• “I knew she was in there somewhere..." Victoria said of the experience. "I stayed there hoping she’d turn up."

But after eight days of camping out, she began to give up hope of ever seeing her pooch again. She packed up her tent and returned home, leaving Freda's favorite blanket and bowl behind at the site just in case.

Then, four days later... Freda found her way up to the surface.😳 

Victoria was no longer looking for her girl, but the dog was spotted by three college students laying on the side of the road – weak and dehydrated, but alive. 

• "When I was told she was alive, it felt like a miracle!" said Victoria "I ran out of the house to find her." 

🤗🐶 The happy ending: Freda was quickly taken to an emergency vet and treated for her injuries. Two nights at the hospital and the pup was cleared to return home with a grateful Victoria and her terrier brother Bert. 

• "I've been a vet for almost 30 years" shared Brian, the clinical director of Blacks Vets where the dog was treated, "but Freda's story is one of the most incredible I've ever known."