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Indy, dog trapped in 60 foot hole for hours, begins road to recovery

After falling nearly 60 feet into a hole that used to be a well, Indy is now on the road to recovery.

CHULA VISTA, Calif. — After falling nearly 60 feet into a hole that used to be a well, Indy is on the road to recovery.

Indy, a 9 year old German Shepherd and former police K9 was treated at South County Animal Hospital where he underwent an MRI on Thursday.

"He's doing okay, he's alert. He's awake and he's getting pain meds. He's had surgery for a couple of wounds,” Indy’s owner, Mark Pugh said.

As Indy starts his recovery, he's going to need a few more trips to the doctor before he's back up and running

"He has wounds to heal up and this MRI and doctor for his back injury and hips and we'll go from there," Pugh said. 

On Wednesday, multiple fire crews responded to the scene at a home near Vista Dr & Bonita Glen Drive in Chula Vista. 

The large German Shepherd-type dog, was trapped in the hole for more than four hours as firefighters attempted to rescue it. 

Rescue crews attempted a number of maneuvers, including sending down a number of different specialized hooks to Indy.

"But because of the way the hole was, nothing was long enough to make it down," said Ken Gilden of the San Diego Humane Society Emergency Response Team.

In the meantime, another firefighter tried lowering a lasso to secure the frightened canine, as time kept slipping by.

"And nothing was happening, and then right at the end, the dog lifted his head and the firefighter who had the lasso was able to get it around his neck," Gilden added, "and as soon as he did, they pulled it tight and we just brought him right up!"

While lifting the trapped dog by his neck was not ideal, few alternatives remained.

Rescue crews say Indy was not hurt by the rescue procedure.

"He was breathing well, seemed to be very stable," Gilden told CBS 8. "Some cuts and bruises, maybe some problems with his hips. I put a leash and a muzzle on him and he didn't fight me at all."

Indy's owner, who expressed intense gratitude to all of the rescue crew members, said he was taking Indy to a veterinarian to be thoroughly examined.

WATCH: The moment fire crews safely rescue dog trapped for hours in 60 foot hole.

WATCH RELATED: Firefighters rescue dog trapped for hours in 60 foot hole in Chula Vista 

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