Dog stands guard for week on Vashon Island, until trapped friend rescued

VASHON ISLAND, Wash. — A dog on Vashon Island stood guard for nearly a week—until her trapped friend was rescued from an old cistern.

Tillie and Phoebe were reported missing by their owners, and Vashon Island Pet Protectors posted the dogs’ photos over social media.

For nearly a week, Tillie, a setter mix, stayed by Phoebe’s side—with the exception of the few minutes each day she went for help.

Volunteers helped search for the missing setter mix and basset hound—and investigated when a community member called saying they had seen a “reddish” dog on their property for the past few days.

When they tracked for the dog, they hear the ‘sweet sound’ they had been waiting for: a woof, when they called Tillie’s name.

Tillie led them to where Phoebe was stuck, perched atop concrete rubble that held her out of the water of the cistern.

"A true friend and a humbling example of the power of love," wrote Vashon Island Pet Protectors.