A tiny stray puppy is recovering in Mobile after a dramatic rescue from a storm drain left him with a fitting new name: Hawk, a nod to skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, after the pup was found perched on a skateboard inside the drain.
The rescue unfolded on a Monday morning near Ashley Drive off Williams Way, after a neighbor heard a mother dog barking anxiously and noticed her sitting near a storm drain. Concerned, the neighbor called Mobile County Animal Control to check things out.
When an animal control officer arrived, they could see the roughly 4-week-old puppy trapped inside the drain but had no way to reach him or lift the heavy manhole cover alone. Rather than give up, the officer called in reinforcements from Mobile County Public Works, whose crew was able to help free the puppy shortly after arriving on scene.
Once safely out, Hawk was taken in by the Alabama Animal Welfare Coalition, a rescue group that is now caring for him while he grows old enough to be placed up for adoption.
Animal control officials believe the puppy’s mother is a stray with additional puppies still hidden somewhere in the wooded area near the storm drain. Rather than trap the mother immediately, officials and neighbors have decided to hold off, worried that doing so before locating her other pups could leave them stranded without her care. Instead, animal control and residents in the area plan to keep watch for the mother and any additional puppies in the coming days.
The rescue is the latest reminder from Mobile County Animal Control about the value of neighbors staying alert to strange animal behavior in their area. Officials say tips from residents, like the one that led searchers to Hawk, are often the fastest way to locate animals in distress before a situation turns dangerous.
For now, Hawk is settling into life away from the storm drain, with volunteers hopeful that his story will draw attention to the broader effort to track down his mother and siblings. Anyone who spots a stray dog with puppies in the area near Ashley Drive and Williams Way is encouraged to contact Mobile County Animal Control rather than attempting to intervene directly, since officials want to coordinate any capture to keep the whole litter together.
Hawk’s rescue offers a happy ending to what could have been a much sadder story, and local officials say it’s a good example of how quickly a community can come together when a neighbor takes the time to speak up.