Dog, cat duo escape from sinkhole in The Woodlands

TWFD digging dirt out of the sinkhole (TWFD)

If you needed any proof that it has rained “cats and dogs” in north Houston over the past week, look no further than a sinkhole in The Woodlands that trapped a pair of furry troublemakers Monday.

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Several heavy showers caused the large hole to form along an area between houses and a flood control channel. Riley, a 7-year-old Pointer, was involved in an intense chase with a neighborhood cat that led the pair directly into the hole, where they became trapped near a displaced drainage pipe in the hole.

The area where the dog was trapped (TWFD)

The Woodlands Fire Department was called to rescue the animals. Firefighters removed the dirt around the crater to create a path for Riley to escape, but she couldn’t be enticed away from the cat.

Montgomery County Animal Control was then called to assist in retrieving the stubborn canine, but Riley wouldn’t budge. After the group exhausted its options, Riley’s owners decided to call off the firefighters and see if she could come out on her own without an audience.

Sure enough, Riley finally emerged from the hole a few hours later, along with the cat. Her owners said that she was exhausted and hungry but doing well otherwise.

Woodlands Water is working on a mitigation plan for the sinkhole.

TWFD posted the ordeal on its Facebook page:


About the Author

Michael is a Kingwood native who loves shooting hoops, visiting local breweries and overreacting to Houston sports. He joined the KPRC family in the spring of 2024. He earned his B.A. from Texas A&M University in 2022 and his M.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2023.

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