Kenneth Shockley knew something was wrong when he couldn’t get his three Sheltie dogs to quit barking Friday.

The dogs were in the living room of Shockley’s house at 1746 E. 1350 Road.

“I told them to be quiet, but they wouldn’t do it,” Shockley said.

Then he noticed that a 3-week old Sheltie female pup was missing. Soon, he heard it whimpering in an air vent.

“I reached down in there and got my arm stuck,” Shockley said. “I had a heck of time getting it (his arm) out.”

Not knowing what else to do other than to turn off the air-conditioning system, Shockley called the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. The deputy who responded called for the Wakarusa Township Fire Department.

Firefighters used a stethoscope to locate the pup in the ductwork in the basement. Then they dismantled part of the ductwork and removed the pup, Shockley said.

“The officer and the firefighters were just great,” Shockley said. “They knew exactly what to do. They were very professional.”