Dog reunited with owner after two-day underground ordeal in Hoveringham

Smith, from Bleasby, said he had taken Cello for a walk in a field on 17 August and let him off the lead to explore before he went missing.

“I took him and one of his friends out for a walk and they disappeared. After a while, the other dog came back, but Cello didn’t, so I went searching for him. The other dog helped me locate where he was.

“I was sitting near this badger sett wondering where he was when, after a while, I heard him bark.”

In order to rescue Cello, a licence from Natural England had to be obtained.

These licences are required to lawfully close, destroy or interfere with a badger sett, or to carry out development work near one, as badgers are a protected species.

Interfering with a badger sett without a licence can result in a prison sentence of up to six months and an unlimited fine.

Smith said the experience left him feeling anxious.

“I didn’t sleep much during that time and I didn’t feel like eating. I was pretty anxious, but I knew I had to try and work out what to do.”

He praised the rescue team for freeing Cello so quickly.

“I was surprised how quickly they got him out. It’s a specialised way of digging because you can’t go straight down from the top as the tunnel could collapse and suffocate him.

“They dug in at an angle and suddenly the side of the tunnel gave way. They put a camera down and saw a pair of eyes. They made the hole a bit bigger and he was out.”

Following the ordeal, Smith said Cello had made a full recovery and was enjoying walks again.

“He’s back to his normal self and wants to go out for another walk. He was dehydrated and pretty hungry, and he slept for about 24 hours, but then he was back to normal.

“It made me realise just how attached I am to him. It’s really great to have him back.”