Dog rescued after being trapped for five days in breakwater

A 14-year-old fox terrier is back in her owner's arms after a multi-day stint trapped in the Glenelg breakwater after she broke free from her leash.

Speaking to Rory McClaren on 891 ABC Adelaide's Mornings program, Robin Byrnes said she was relieved after the "traumatic" ordeal.

Her "timid" dog Ella was being walked by a dog-sitter in Glenelg, on Adelaide's metropolitan coastline, on Sunday June 7 while Ms Byrnes was away at the Finke Desert Race in the remote Northern Territory.

"She got spooked by another dog sneaking up behind her and she took off, and the lead slipped out of his hand," Ms Byrnes said.

"Then she thought the lead was chasing her so she just ran, and ran, and ran and disappeared … She must have run along there (the breakwater) and fallen down into one of the crevices."

As Ms Byrnes was out of range for mobile phone service, she was not even aware for several days that her pet was missing.

Luckily, good Samaritan and dog enthusiast, Christian, was walking along the shore and heard Ella's barks.

"He thought it was coming from the breakwater but he wasn't sure," Ms Byrnes said.

"And the tide was out so he walked along the side of it and his dog sniffed it out and [he] thought 'oh yeah there's a dog there'."

Ms Byrnes arrived back in Adelaide on Thursday and drove straight to the rocky breakwater at Glenelg to find local council workers and RSPCA representatives looking down at her pooch several feet below them.

She believed Ella was being sustained by rainwater and she quickly threw some chicken down to satiate the hungry dog.

"She was actually quite safe in this little cave thing she was in and dry," Robin said.

A City of Holdfast Bay spokesperson said a drain camera was used to identify the exact location of Ella before a council cat trap was lowered into the crevice.

As darkness fell on the rocky breakwater on Thursday night and without Ella in the trap, the rescue team had to make the decision to return the next morning.

Ms Byrnes said at 7am on Friday, Christian, Robin and the council workers returned to try and trap the timid terrier.

Eventually a trail of chicken lured Ella into the trap and her rescuers dropped the door, retrieving her from the breakwater after five days.

"Oh my God, what a relief, I couldn't believe it," Ms Burns said.

"It was very traumatic."

A vet check-up confirmed while Ella was "exhausted"  and had lost a kilogram of weight during the ordeal, the little terrier was not dehydrated or hurt in any way.

Ms Byrnes expressed her gratitude for Christian who was dedicated to rescuing little Ella.

"I was so grateful to him for getting involved and he was a lovely guy," she said.

The tired pup is now spending plenty of quality time cuddling with Robin on her lap.