Two curious pups found themselves in a pickle over the weekend.
Fire crews responded to a public service call Sunday in Yucca Valley and recorded video of the unusual rescue request, the San Bernardino County Fire Department said in a Facebook post.
Two 5-month-old puppies, Peo and Finn, had made their way into an underground tortoise den. They were unable to get out because a 100-pound tortoise was blocking their exit.
Residents were worried as the dogs had been stuck in the den for multiple hours and were silent, the department said.
Firefighters attempted to coax Oscar, a large desert tortoise, from its den so that firefighters could get to the puppies. They used a tasty watermelon treat to attempt to coax the tortoise out. But the snack trick was unsuccessful and firefighters resorted to plan B: digging.
With Oscar continuing to block the exit, crews worked to dig another hole to get to the dogs.
After an hour of digging, firefighters were able to get the puppies out of the den.
Peo and Finn were unharmed and appeared to be happy to reunite with their dog mom, Kathleen.
“We are glad we could assist with this unique call & there was such a positive outcome,” San Bernardino County Fire said.