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A Hancock woman’s dog is alive thanks to her quick action.
Lakeview Manor resident Laverne Soronen was doing her laundry on Monday, August 28th on the 6th floor of her apartment building.
She had her six year old poodle, Scruffy, with her when she got into the elevator with another resident who was going down to the 2nd floor.
Scruffy was on a leash and for some reason, exited the elevator just as the doors closed.
“I don’t know why, he’d never done it,” said Soronen. “He got off the elevator and never gave it a thought and the elevator doors closed and (the elevator) started to move and I looked down and I had a hold of the leash and he wasn’t in there.”
The elevator started moving and got down to the 5th floor before Laverne hit the emergency stop button on the elevator.
The 10 foot leash was still caught in the elevator doors with Scruffy somewhere on the other side.
Laverne called 911 and emergency crews responded to the scene where they found the dog sitting next to the elevator and cut the leash.
Soronen said, “And then he was just happy. He had a lot of company. He was just so happy to see all the firemen.”
This wasn’t the first time Laverne has rescued Scruffy.
The first came when she adopted him from the humane society two years ago.
“He had been left in a box outside at night,” Soronen said, “and I think he had been abused.”
Scruffy is doing just fine and Laverne says she will keep the dog on a short leash around elevators from now on.
