Good Luck or Bad Luck? The 13th Floor Rescue of a Dog Trapped on a Balcony for Two Days

In many cultures, the number 13 is considered bad luck, and while most people don’t put much stock in superstitions these days, there are still many modern-day institutions that reflect this old belief. To this day, some airlines do not carry a 13th row, some streets conspicuously lack a 13th house number, and buildings whose lift numbers jump from 12 to 14. Of course, this is more to do with the perceived aversion to this number, in an attempt to avoid empty rows, unsold homes, or vacant floors. For one little dog named Elbie, living on the 13th storey of her high-rise apartment seems to have landed her with a bit of bad luck, but we’re glad to report that she was fortunate enough to be rescued.

In a story that would make an exciting Spider-Man side-quest, Elbie’s owner, Jake Dobrin, had reported the Miniature Jack Russell Terrier missing on April 25th, after searching his home for hours. Living on the 13th floor of an apartment building just outside Sydney’s northern beaches in Australia, Jake was most worried that the two-year-old dog had fallen from the balcony.

He posted on social media, begging friends to spread the word and keep an eye out for his beloved dog, but it wasn’t until a friend joined in the search with their drone that Elbie was spotted high above the ground in a very awkward and dangerous position. She had indeed taken an unlucky step from the apartment balcony, but fortunately, rather than falling more than 60 feet to the ground below, she found herself wedged between a window and some decorative bars on the building’s exterior.

Emergency services were called immediately, and firefighter Joel Spillane faced the unenviable task of rescuing the precarious pup in front of a gathering crowd of onlookers.

Using climbing equipment, Spillane scaled the exterior of the building to reach Elbie, whilst a tarpaulin was deployed below as a precaution. In an interview with Australia’s Nine News, Spillane explained that the dog was “a little bit stuck” and it had taken around 20 minutes to manoeuvre Elbie out from her wayward position. Despite having spent almost 48 hours without food or water in what must have been a terrifying situation, Spillane reported that Elbie remained calm throughout the rescue, “which helped a lot."

After an emotional reunion with owner Jake, Elbie was off to the vet for a check-up and some much-needed intravenous fluid therapy.

While you could blame that unlucky 13th floor for Elbie’s mishap, in the end, her good fortune seems to have outweighed the bad, and we’re certain that her owner will be taking extra precautions from now on!

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