French dog poisoned and buried alive survives

By: 12 years ago

Sabrina Zamora, president of an animal protection association, Ligue Interet a la Societe et de l’Animal/L.I.S.A., holds a Jack Russell terrier, Ethan, at his new home in Charleville Mezieres, eastern France, Friday, October 19, 2012. Ethan, doomed to die on his third birthday when he was poisoned and buried alive, has survived on Tuesday, October 16, 2012. Ethan can thank a witness, a firefighter who came to the rescue and a veterinarian who nursed him back to life. AP/Sylvie/LISA

France A Dog's Life — Sabrina Zamora, president of an animal protection association, Ligue Interet a la Societe et de l’Animal/L.I.S.A., holds a Jack Russell terrier, Ethan, at his new home in Charleville Mezieres, eastern France, Friday, October 19, 2012. Ethan, doomed to die on his third birthday when he was poisoned and buried alive, has survived on Tuesday, October 16, 2012. Ethan can thank a witness, a firefighter who came to the rescue and a veterinarian who nursed him back to life. AP/Sylvie/LISA

PARIS—A Jack Russell terrier has survived after being poisoned and buried alive — and he can thank the man who saw the ground wiggle.

Ethan had a whole chain of saviors: the man who dug him up, firefighters and a veterinarian who nursed him back to life.

Sabrina Zamora, president of an animal association in Charleville-Mezieres, 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of Paris, said Friday the little dog was “flat as a pancake” Tuesday when he was dug up from his grave.

Veterinarian Philippe Michon called the rescue “miraculous” — saying that Ethan’s cold body was so compressed from being buried it was hard to find a vein to hydrate him.

Ethan was identified through a microchip that showed all this happened on his third birthday.