Rescued from a 50-foot crevice, a deaf, partially blind dog named Toffee is still thriving

A tiny puppy named Toffee, who was pulled from a crevice nearly 50 feet underground in 2018, has become a familiar and much-loved sight in Huntsville, Alabama. Despite being deaf and partially blind, this adorable pup spends her days hiking, swimming, and winning over people around town with her owner Richard Breitbach, the veteran who helped save her.

Here's what to know

According to WAFF, the events that led up to finding Toffee started behind her foster family's home, where she slipped into a tight opening and became trapped deep below the surface.

Rescuers were working around an opening that was only "5 or 6 inches wide at some points," and they eventually found Toffee by lowering a camera through PVC pipe to the rock ledge where she was stranded.

Breitbach, a U.S. Air Force veteran whom WAFF said spent three decades as a pararescueman and combat rescue officer, was one of dozens of responders who came after his daughter called him. Toffee was finally brought out safely after being trapped for over 30 hours underground. 

"We came up with a plan, and then we executed the plan to get her, and it took quite a while," Breitbach said.

Breitbach then adopted the same puppy he had helped save.

More background

Breitbach told WAFF that adoption was not initially part of the plan.

"I was like, no, I don't want a blind, deaf puppy. I have a golden retriever. I don't have time for a blind, deaf puppy," he said.

But when his daughter came to his house with Toffee, there was essentially no turning back to this lovable furball.

Toffee has become recognizable around town. Breitbach said she joins him on hikes, goes swimming, and even tags along to local breweries.

When she is out in public, Toffee relies heavily on her sense of smell to get around.

"She just kind of uses her nose to kind of navigate around and figure out how to work around the environment she's in," Breitbach said.

What can be done?

Breitbach said that he did not want Toffee's disabilities to define the limits of her life.

"I was determined that I was not going to have a blind and deaf puppy that had to be on a leash her whole life," he said.

Inspired by Toffee, Breitbach wrote a children's book about her rescue and recovery. "We put the book together, found a publisher and published the book. And it was a pretty big hit in town," he said.

Toffee's resilience has also changed the way Breitbach sees his own struggles.

"She's very much an inspiration. If she can function the way she does, I mean, my problems are kind of minuscule. So I think that's kind of what this whole thing is about. She's learned to understand, to overcome all kinds of obstacles. She leads a normal life," he said.

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