Deaf puppy rescued from 50-foot hole after firefighters work around clock

Seven-week-old Toffee was finally reunited with her foster family 30 hours after falling into the crevice in Alabama

A deaf puppy has been reunited with her owner after being trapped down a 50-foot hole for 30 hours.

A huge rescue effort was launched after seven-week-old Toffee fell down the crevice behind a house in Huntsville, Alabama, at about 5pm on Thursday.

Firefighters, cave rescue crews and plumbers joined the effort, lowering nets, snares and food in an attempt to retrieve Toffee from the hole.

They also tried unsuccessfully to reach the Australian shepherd mix with a rope, duffle bags and a crate, WHNT News 19 reported on its website.

The hole varied in size but was not big enough for a human to climb in to rescue toffee.

Toffee being lifted out of the hole (Instagram/Katie Ziegler/via Reuters)

Finally, just after midnight on Saturday, volunteers erupted into cheers as the puppy was pulled out of the narrow hole with the help of a snare and some food.

Karen Smith, the puppy's foster mother, told reporters it was a “miracle”.

Video footage showed the white pup wagging her tail as Ms Smith cuddled her.

Huntsville television stations drew thousands of followers as they live-streamed the recovery efforts.

Associated Press (AP) contributed to this report.