Dog gets back squeaky toy from council drain after bizarre rescue mission on Gold Coast

This Gold Coast owner could have left her pooch’s favourite toy stuck down a drain — instead she managed to convince council to retrieve it in one of the city’s most bizarre rescue missions.

You might think it’s a barking mad story but rest assured Operation Save Mr Squeaker has been a success.

And Main Beach pooch Bruce Springsteen — reunited with his favourite squeaky toy lost down a Tedder Avenue drain — thinks Gold Coast City Council staff are now The Boss.

The drama started during a walk on the streets of Main Beach at the weekend when Bruce Springsteen’s owner Charlotte Price threw his favourite toy Mr Squeaker for him to fetch.

BIZARRE FINDS IN GOLD COAST SEWERAGE NETWORK SYSTEM

Bruce Springsteen the dog with his favourite toy Mr Squeaker. Picture: Jerad Williams

Springsteen, a two-year-old Yorkshire terrier, dropped it down the drain — and has not been himself ever since.

Springsteen had a tendency to be a bit of an ankle biter until Mr Squeaker came along and the pair are a popular fixture along Tedder Ave.

OTHER NEWS:

AWLQ shelter dog’s life of glamour with movie star

Luxury item targeted in spate of thefts

Popular Coast coffee franchise expands nationwide

The pet pooch might be tougher than the rest but had become moody and listless without Mr Squeaker, Ms Price says.

“He’s been depressed and not his normal self,” she said.

“We discovered Bruce will chase Mr Squeaker up and down the corridor for an entire day and entire night.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE BULLETIN FOR JUST $5 A MONTH FOR THE FIRST THREE MONTHS

Success! Picture: Jerad Williams

“He’s very happy walking with Mr Squeaker in his mouth — he can’t bite anyone,” she said.

Bruce pulled the sad puppy eyes routine.

“He dived into the cupboard where Mr Squeaker was kept and scratched at it but there was no Mr Squeaker in there,” she said.

Ms Price knew the pooch wouldn’t settle for anything less than his old toy and declined to buy a new one.

“If I got back Mr Squeaker he’d get back his old vibrancy and life,” she said.

“It’s not expensive at all but it means the world to him.”

GOLD COAST DOGS: TOP 50 CUTEST POOCHES

Mine, mine, mine. Picture: Jerad Williams

Council workers yesterday heroically rescued Mr Squeaker from the depths of the drain where he’d spent the past three nights presumably dancing in the dark.

Ms Price: “When I rang I thought they’d tell me to jump in the lake.

“(Springsteen’s) clearly delighted,” she said. “Right now is glory days for him and he’s born to run (again).”

A Gold Coast City spokesman said its officers were more than happy to reunite Springsteen and his best friend.

Objects getting trapped down drains happened often with no cost to council for retrieval as it was usually carried out during normal daily duties.

“Crews retrieve dozens of items every year from our drains, but more commonly it’s wallets, car keys and phones that people can’t bear to live without. A squeaky toy was definitely a new one,” the spokesman said.