Poodle Freed From Under Car Seat After Getting 'Sucked' Into Adjuster

Emergency responders in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, have rescued a pet dog that got stuck under the driver's seat of its owner's car.

The incident occurred on Tuesday morning on the birthday of the owner, Clarisse Fairbanks.

Fairbanks was taking her two dogs to a grooming appointment when she noticed that one of them—a 10-year-old poodle named Casper—had become stuck under the driver's seat.

"We noticed right after we left the house that Casper was under the back seat, and we could only see his back legs," Fairbanks told NBC Boston.

"Before we knew he was stuck, we had put the seat forwards and backwards a lot, so his hair got caught in the track of how you move your seat back and forth, and his head got stuck between the two metal bars."

Fairbanks was unable to free the dog and decided to call 911. Emergency responders from Fairhaven Fire Department, Police and Animal Control soon arrived at the scene.

"Casper the 10 year old poodle found himself in quite the predicament this morning. He was able to maneuver himself under the seat of his owner's vehicle and got stuck within the seat motion mechanism," the Fairhaven Police Department said in a statement posted to Facebook following the incident.

Lt. Josh Benoit from Fairhaven Fire Department was among the first emergency responders on the scene. He told NBC Boston that he thinks the dog became trapped under the seat while trying to snack on some dropped popcorn.

"The dog essentially got sucked into the gearing of the adjustment motors of that seat, causing the hair and skin to get wrapped and encased in the mechanisms under there," Benoit said.

Emergency responders instructed Fairbanks to drive to New England Animal Hospital where a veterinarian came to sedate the dog.

"He was having some difficulty breathing when he was under there, so his breathing was raspy, so it was very scary," Fairbanks said.

Emergency crews then began to dismantle the car, removing the seat so that they could pull the dog to safety.

Casper was treated at the hospital for his injuries, which included cuts and bruises on his head. But the dog is now back at home with his owners.

Fairbanks praised the first responders who helped rescue the dog, telling NBC Boston that she was happy her birthday ended on a high note.

"It was a really good present not to have him hurt. And for a while, everyone said to me, 'He's OK for now, he's OK for now.' It was really a difficult morning to get through and not know if he was OK," she said.