San Bernardino County firefighters rescue pair of puppies stuck in tortoise den in Yucca Valley

In what they described as "a unique public service call," San Bernardino County firefighters rescued a pair of puppies that were stuck inside the den of a 100-pound tortoise in Yucca Valley on June 19.

The county firefighters responded to the scene after the dogs, described as two "curious" five-month-olds, had been in the den for several hours and were "silent," according to a statement Tuesday from the San Bernardino County Fire Department.

The crew arrived at the scene to find a 100-pound tortoise (named Oscar) blocking the exit to its expansive den. They unsuccessfully tried to coax the tortoise out of its spot with "a tasty watermelon treat," and then proceeded to their back-up plan: digging.

"With Oscar blocking the exit, crews worked to dig an access hole to rescue the dogs," the fire department said. "After an hour of digging crews were able to get the puppies out of the den. 'Peo' and 'Finn' were unharmed & happy to reunite with their dog mom Kathleen."

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: San Bernardino County firefighters rescue puppies stuck in tortoise den