Missouri spelunkers find dog missing for months inside cave

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Spelunkers in Missouri discovered a missing dog inside a cave over the weekend nearly two months after the pup disappeared, according to rescuers.

Rick Haley, one of the rescuers who located the dog while caving in Perry County, described the circumstances as "a feel-good story of survival."

Haley, a trained cave rescuer, was inside the Tom Moore Cave system overseeing a sump pump when he was alerted to the dog, named Abby, FOX2 Kansas City reported. The cave system is about 24.5 miles long and is the second-longest in Missouri.

Haley wrote on Facebook that he and fellow caver Gerry Keene facilitated the cave rescue of Abby, who he described as "not in good shape."

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"We package the dog in a duffel bag with her head sticking out," Haley wrote. "This was to protect her and the rescuers as she would likely struggle. We moved her 500 feet to a very tight, awkward, vertical climb, handing her hand-to-hand upward to the surface."

Haley, pitcured left with Abby the dog, said the pup was cooperative throughout the whole rescue. (Rick Haley / Gary Keene)

Staley said Abby was cooperative during the entire rescue.

Staley said he and fellow caver Gerry Keene facilitated the rescue. (Rick Haley / Gary Keene)

After reaching the surface, Biehle Assistant Fire Chief Robert Cahoon helped the rescuers go door-knocking in search of Abby’s owner, whom they eventually found and reunited with their four-legged friend, the report said.

The dog "was not in good shape" when rescuers found her, according to Haley. (Rick Haley / Gary Keene)

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Haley wrote that Abby’s owner said she went missing on June 9 and hadn’t been seen since. He said the owner was appreciative later returned to the cave site with ice cream for the rescuers.

Rescuers said it was completely dark inside the cave, and while it was unclear how Abby survived for so long, there was a presence of running water and fish and crustaceans inside the cave, the station reported.