Firefighters come to the rescue of a pup that gets its paw stuck in a tub drain

(KTVU) - Some pet owners are re-thinking bathtub safety when it comes to their beloved pets, after firefighters in Phoenix posted photos of a dog that got one of its paws stuck in a tub drain.

"Doggone it! This little pooch got its foot stuck in the drain while taking a bath late last night," the Phoenix Fire Department wrote on Facebook and Twitter on Monday.

It took hours to free the dog. Rescue crews said they worked into the early morning hours, as they had to get creative and use a variety of tools to carefully pull the dog's paw from the drain.

But all's well that ends well. Crews managed to safely get the animal loose and said, "We're happy to report that the pup is doing fine."

The post of the rescue triggered praise on social media from folks who thanked firefighters for their dedication and hard work, and called them heroes. 

One Twitter user said the rescue prompted her to take immediate action. Tracy Poulos wrote, "I started putting a mat over the drain because I am so afraid of this happening to my lil guy."

It's unclear if the "paw in the drain rescue" was a first for the Phoenix Fire Department, but it certainly generated awareness about pet safety in the tub and triggered lots of expressions of gratitude toward a group of workers who constantly find themselves answering the call for help in a very wide range of emergency situations.