Dramatic dog rescue: Firefighters save pooch from Willowbrook sinkhole

A Willowbrook family is grateful for the dramatic rescue of their beloved dog who fell into a sinkhole Wednesday afternoon. The 15-year-old German Shepherd named "Maya" was trapped for hours.    

Crews from the Los Angeles County Fire Department rescued the dog that fell into an old septic tank 15 feet below ground. The family that lives at the residence didn't even know the tank was there. 

Another dog at the house started barking at a hole near the back door of the house, alerting the owners to Maya's predicament. Somehow Maya had found a crawlspace under the house that led to the collapse.

L.A. County Fire Dept. personnel responded around 3:40 p.m. to a residence in Willowbrook. 

About 45 firefighters showed up, and crews spent nearly three hours trying to save the scared pooch. They finally hoisted her out of the hole at about 6:25 p.m. 

"The dog initially was just kind of laying there, seemed a little fatigued," said Troy Litchfield, the firefighter that rescued the dog. "Once we were bringing in the treats you could definitely see the dog turning around, starting to interact a lot more."

The 15-year-old dog is now back in the loving arms of its owner. 

"It was amazing because I wasn't sure if she was OK," said owner Alex Munoz. "She is almost 16 years old. When I saw my dog, I was really, really happy. I just want to say thank you to the firefighters -- thank you to the whole team, especially to Troy. He's the real hero."

A veterinarian cleared Maya. Acting out of an abundance of caution, the family plans to bring Maya back to the veterinarian on Thursday.