A missing dog has been saved from death after two weeks alone in the Waitākere bush.
Zack, a large Rottweiler, went missing on November 11 from west Auckland's Scenic Drive. He was described as "very friendly but extremely scared of thunder".
His disappearance sparked a large hunt for the adorable dog. But despite multiple appeals on social media and numerous search parties, there was no success.
"If the fire siren goes he will most likely howl, please listen out for him and message us as soon as possible," his owner wrote. "We need our big baby home."
Then came reports of a large dog barking in heavy bush and the family was alerted via social media.
The Waiatarua Volunteer Fire Brigade came to the rescue on Monday night with help from the Henderson line rescue team and Te Atatu lighting truck.
Photos from the scene show multiple fire engines and rescue workers at the scene. After searching through heavy bush they managed to find Zack down a gully.
"He was 100 metres down the bank," a Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) spokesperson told Newshub. "It took a while to get the dog out as it was quite far down."
Eventually, he was carried out on a stretcher to safety - to the joy of his owner and the community.
"I can't thank everyone enough, I have no words to say how much all the love and support has pulled us through these last two weeks," his owner wrote on Facebook.
"Zack has lost a lot of weight but appears otherwise healthy and in good spirits (for spending two weeks stuck in a ravine!)
"He currently is unable to walk due to extreme pressure injuries and wounds on his back left leg and hip where he was lying for so long in the water.
"Our west Coast vets are doing an amazing job aiding his recovery and we hope he will be up and about in no time!"
"Fantastic effort by all and what wonderful dog owners for never giving up!! Brings me to tears thinking how happy they both would have been seeing each other after such a long time!" one person commented on Facebook.
"Thank you to our amazing community for rallying to find him and our incredible local volunteer firefighters and those drafted in from other areas to support the effort... a truly amazing effort to save Zack... we are lucky to have such a caring community," another said.
