Hoveringham, UK – After two days of uncertainty, Stephen Smith was finally able to reunite with his beloved dog, Cello, who had become lost in an underground tunnel system and gotten stuck there.

Recently, the six‑year‑old parson Russell Terrier was out with his owner in Britain.

Smith let his four‑legged companion off the leash so he could explore the surroundings. But shortly afterwards, Cello vanished.

"I took him and one of his friends out for a walk, and they disappeared," Smith told the BBC.

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"After a while, the other dog came back, but Cello didn't, so I went searching for him."

The man couldn’t find little Cello – he could only hear his barking.

Since there was a badger sett nearby, he quickly realized what had happened.

However, to rescue the dog, a permit from Natural England had to be obtained first.

Such permits are required because badgers are protected in the UK. Apparently, interfering with a badger hole without permission can result in up to six months in prison and a fine.

For Smith, the situation was an extreme strain: "I didn't sleep much during that time, and I didn't feel like eating. I was pretty anxious, but I knew I had to try and work out what to do."

But once the approval came through, things moved quickly.

Volunteers from the "Notts Lost Dogs" organization, together with crews from the Newark Fire Department, carefully cleared part of the badger’s burrow.

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Eventually, they found Cello about 2 feet (60 cm) underground.

"I was surprised how quickly they got him out. It's a specialised way of digging because you can't go straight down from the top as the tunnel could collapse and suffocate him," Smith said.

Cello, however, recovered quickly and is now once again enjoying his long walks.

"He's back to his normal self and wants to go out for another walk," the man said.

"He was dehydrated and pretty hungry, and he slept for about 24 hours, but then he was back to normal," he added.

"It made me realize just how attached I am to him. It's really great to have him back."