Builders didn't notice the dog and paved over her,

A pregnant dog trapped underground for two days when Russian workmen fixing a collapsed pavement built over her has been dramatically rescued by locals.

The incident took place in the south western city of Voronezh, where three weeks ago a pavement collapsed, leaving a huge hole in the ground.

At some point between the hole appearing and workmen coming to fix it, the pregnant dog managed to crawl beneath the rubble. Staggeringly the builders were unaware of her presence when they sealed the crater, trapping the animal underground for two days without food or water.

Saved! The pregnant dog, which was trapped underground for two days when Russian workmen fixing a collapsed pavement built over her, is seen being dramatically rescued by locals

Help is coming: A local man frantically digs huge piles of sand with his bare hands to save the stricken dog

Footage of the pregnant dog's rescue shows a local man frantically removing stones from the pavement and then digging out huge piles of sand with his bare hands.

The video was uploaded to YouTube by eyewitness Vadim Rustam.

The dog's face then appears in the hole and she makes her first tentative steps towards safety.

A bit more digging is required before the gap is big enough for the dog's swollen belly to fit through, however, but eventually the man is able to pull her through the gap and she scrambles to her feet.

Tail wagging furiously, the dog bounds over to a crowd of onlookers who stroke and pat her.

The animal, who is almost certainly a stray, was later taken to a rescue shelter where is alive and well, according to Nine News.

Emerging from the dark! The dog appears in the hole as she sees sunlight for the first time in two days

Struggle: A bit more digging is required before the gap is big enough for the dog's swollen belly to fit through

Released: Tail wagging furiously, the dog bounds over to a crowd of onlookers who stroke and pat her

It is understood that locals were alerted to the dog's presence when they heard her barking.

Residents living in a house close to the site of the by then covered hole were able to track the sound and discovered it was coming from beneath the concrete steps leading up to their front door.

The householders quickly contacted the local housing association who were reportedly unwilling to do anything to help the stricken animal.

Rather than giving up, the locals set about rescuing the dog themselves, still completely unaware that she was heavily pregnant.

The news comes after it was revealed that a faithful Red Setter named Tillie dutifully stood guard for a week when her Basset Hound friend Phoebe became trapped in a ravine.