A dog may be man's best friend, but sometimes man can be a dog's best friend, too.

We've all read countless stories about the selfless love dogs show for us, whether it is digging through a mound of snow to rescue a trapped child, swimming through perilous waters to rescue a drowning person, or even dialing a preprogrammed number when its owner suffers a seizure. But those roles were reversed Aug. 22 in Bethlehem Township, where fire departments and emergency squads converged from all over the Lehigh Valley.In an impressive display of regionalism, they worked together to save the life of George, a 16-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever trapped in a sinkhole.This story started around 2 p.m., when Carolyn Kenny, of 4590 William Penn Highway, let George out into the back yard to take care of business. She turned her head away for a moment, and when she looked back, George was gone. He had been swallowed up by a sinkhole that had suddenly opened up in her back yard.She went to the hole and could still hear him barking, but he was unable to get out. She called 911.When the first responders arrived, it soon became apparent that George was in serious trouble. Not only had he fallen into a sinkhole, but he was actually wedged into a crevice with his front paws dangling into an even deeper hole. He was stuck, head first, and was unable to use his front paws to dig his way out.What made things even more challenging for rescue officials was that there was an old cistern inside the sink hole, and the ground was unsteady. Anyone who went in there was exposing himself to the danger of a sudden collapse.Despite this obvious danger, fire departments and emergency officials, from Catasauqua to Emmaus, arrived to help.John Kalynych, coordinator of Lehigh County Special Operations, assumed command. His group specializes in technical rescues, whether it is trenches, high angle, confined spaces, hazardous materials or animal rescue. His group is made up of volunteers who are paid a nominal fee when placed on call, but "It ain't putting food on the table," he told a group of reporters after it was all over.A backhoe, on loan from the sewer authority, dug a deep hole next to the sinkhole. Then emergency responders connected to lifelines descended into the depths to dig and get closer to George, whose barks grew fainter over the eight hours he spent trapped.Lumber was needed to shore up the cavern, and a Bethlehem Township firefighter went to nearby Lowe's to pick up a supply. Although he told store personnel it was an emergency, he still had to pay $220 for the wood out of his own pocket.Firefighters and emergency personnel worked together with no parochialism. EMS officials from Allentown, who have special training in treating victims of cave-ins, were on hand in the event that the earthen walls caved in around rescuers. Palmer Township's ladder truck was used to run safety lines. All departments brought spotlights.Dr. Clifford Cummings, a veterinarian with an animal hospital on nearby Church Road, was there as well, and even tried entering the sinkhole himself until he was stopped by emergency officials.But who was the man on point, the one taking the biggest risk? The smallest?"The craziest," said a Palmer Township firefighter. That man was Special Ops Team member Shawn Lubenetski, who is well over 6 feet tall. He finally got to George after six hours.A Lehigh Township resident, Lubenetski owns three dogs himself and was able to lift George and pull his front paws from the ledge. After that, the dog did a lot of the digging himself and things finished quickly.After it was all over, Special Ops coordinator dubbed Lubenetski "Dr. Doolittle." Over slices of cold pizza, he explained that Lubenetski once went 80 feet to rescue a cat and has even rescued ducks.Bethlehem Township Manager Howard Kutzler, who was on hand with emergency personnel, stated sinkholes are a common problem in Bethlehem Township, especially after a heavy rain, because the rain erodes the limestone under the surface.After spending a day at Dr. Cummings animal hospital, George is now back home with Carolyn and Dan Kenny."He looked like a dirty, old furry bear when they pulled him out," laughed owner Dan Kenny.Kenny noted that Dr. Cummings, who spent hours waiting for George beside the sinkhole, refused to charge for his house call."For that I am very grateful, and so is George," Dan said.Dan calls George a "reluctant hero" because the Kennys' grandchildren, ages 2 through 16, will be visiting next week, and it could have been one of them who slipped into a sinkhole."George unknowingly made everything safe for everyone," Dan said.But George will likely be treading lightly in the back yard for the next few days.