Imagine walking your dog and discovering that just beyond your familiar path, there’s a hidden tar pit—like something out of an ancient fossil dig site. Now, imagine your dog stumbling into that tar pit and slowly sinking.
This isn’t fiction. It’s the very real—and terrifying—story that unfolds in Chapter 5 of Amazing Dog Stories by David Wilk, a finalist for Book of the Year from the National Dog Writers Association.
Titled “Going Under,” this chapter begins with what seemed like an ordinary morning walk. David was taking his two Golden Retrievers, Petey and Tinker, down the long, steep driveway to pick up the newspaper at the gate. It’s a routine walk he takes every day, a peaceful moment between man and dog. But what happens next is anything but peaceful.
Just off to the side of their property is a small cattle grazing area that belongs to a neighboring family’s ranch. Cattle rarely visit it, but unbeknownst to David, it contains a natural tar pit, not unlike the famous La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles.
That morning, Petey wandered too far and suddenly disappeared into the brush. What David found moments later was almost too bizarre to believe: his beloved dog stuck in thick, black tar, unable to move, legs sinking deeper, now only his head visible. A quick slip had turned into a full-body emergency.
David took a step into the thick tar to try to pull his dog out. But he couldn’t get a good grip, so he took another careful step. David could not budge his dog but soon discovered something equally terrifying: he was stuck too, and sinking fast.
What followed was a frantic, desperate rescue attempt. David managed to call the fire department. Soon, a team of firefighters rushed onto the scene, arriving just in time to save man and dog. Using ropes, brute strength, and a whole lot of patience, they dragged David and then Petey out of the tar.
But the ordeal wasn’t over.
Petey was coated from head to tail in sticky tar, and cleaning him was a massive task. Over two days, David and his wife Terryle scrubbed, bathed, rubbed him with baby oil, and shampooed him with Dawn—more than a dozen times. Their bodies ached, their clothes were ruined, and their bathroom looked like a war zone. But they did it. They saved him.
And incredibly, Petey? He bounced back like nothing had happened—tail wagging, full of energy, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he’d nearly become a fossil.
The chapter ends with a note of gratitude and a simple, practical warning:
“If you happen to have a tar pit near your property, DO NOT let your dog get anywhere near it.”
Amazing Dog Stories delivers tales that are sometimes funny, sometimes dangerous, and always deeply emotional. Going Under shows the extraordinary lengths dog owners will go to save their pets—and the resilience of the dogs who survive.
It’s a story of love, mud, teamwork… and one very sticky Golden Retriever who lived to chase another ball.