A hapless stray dog was rescued after falling into 16ft-deep abandoned well in Thailand.

Villagers heard the pooch crying when they passed by the concrete reservoir in Krabi province on March 16.

They checked the area and found the white female stray at the bottom of the narrow hole so they called the animal rescuers for help.

The well was once used to collect water during the rainy season but during the hot weather, it had dried up. There was no water at the bottom for the dog to drown in.

When the rescuers arrived, they checked if they could climb down but the shaft is too narrow so they just used a rope. They tied one end of a long rope into a noose and let it down the well so they could attempt to catch the dog’s body with it.

After almost 15 minutes, the team successfully caught the dog’s upper body on the rope and they slowly pulled it up out of the hole. The stray was weak so they gave her some water and food before allowing her to rest in the shady part of the village.

Police Lieutenant Wirat Chanasit said the dog may have been trapped below for at least two days judging by how weak she had become.

He said: ‘The dog must have been there for at least two days. We think that she accidentally fell in there.’

The pooch was taken to the local veterinary office to be given a health check before she will be handed to an animal shelter.