We have always known that dogs are very brave animals, and that many of them will go to great lengths to protect those they care about the most.

However, the situation we will be talking about is different, as it was not about protecting someone else, but himself, and the courage it took to do so.

In this story, we will talk about a brave Tennessee dog who was stuck for three days in a cave with a giant bear.

Hunting Dog, Charlie

When a sweet hunting dog accidentally fell down a cave shaft, at least 40 feet down, it was hard for him to get out from that.

When the Waldens Creek Volunteer Fire Department, from Tennessee, was notified of this, they immediately formed a rescue party to help the distressed pup.

He had spent the better part of the day there on his own without anyone able to help him. However, he wasn’t alone.

The rescue party came to realize pretty quickly that this dog had spent those stressful hours with a bear who was living there.

The Fire Department said in a post on Facebook: The rescue team arrived on scene yesterday morning and hiked to the mouth of the cave. 

Firefighter Tori Downing and Captain Jon Lanier of the WCFD, descended into the cave to rescue the trapped hunting dog.

A Difficult Rescue Mission

There was no way inside, and they had to wait for a new opportunity. Any small mistake could wake him, and the bear could seriously injure the rescuers.

They had to be really careful with this mission. Wednesday came and the dog was still in the cave, but the bear was not.

The rescuers took this rare opportunity immediately and went down to save the poor pup who was probably starving by now.

The dog was attached to a harness and was brought out of the cave where he was reunited with his owner, who could now finally breathe a sigh of relief.

They continued by saying: He was dehydrated and hungry, but in otherwise good condition.

We would like to thank and recognize the entire rescue team and people who worked together to make this happen. It was truly a team effort that required all these departments to make it a success.