CLEVELAND, Ohio —

A one-month old “King,” a Rottweiler-German shepherd mix, is touch and go, after being rescued from an underground, sewage pipe drain this afternoon on Cleveland’s east side.

*Check out pictures of the dramatic rescue here.

Once pulled out from the 6-foot deep hole, on the front lawn of the home on East 110th Street, the young pup was covered in dirt, his eyes barely open, but he was breathing. He was taken to Gateway Animal Clinic, where we are told that he is in critical condition after being trapped inside the pipe for two days.

It was crews from Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District who responded to the scene, after FOX 8 summoned them for help this afternoon. The Lewis family, the owner of the dog, says it was sometime Monday morning, King was huddling with six other pups in his litter in the basement of the home, when he began to walk for the first time. They say someone apparently removed the drain cover, and King fell through the hole.

Johnny Lewis was frantic as he recalled when he first realized the dog was trapped. He says, “I heard him crying for his mom. She went in to try and save him, and I did too.  That’s when I panicked, and called 911 and police, because I realized he wasn’t moving.”

Lewis says police and fire officials were the first to respond overnight, but they were unable to get the dog out, since he says they didn’t have the proper equipment for a dog rescue operation.

Stick with Fox 8 News and FOX8.com for updates on this developing story as they become available.