SPENCER the Spaniel has been getting used to some home comforts after returning from his three-day underground ordeal.

The Cocker Spaniel surfaced on Tuesday after a major rescue effort succeeded in extracting him from a 30cm drainage pipe beneath a five-a-side pitch at Tilsley Park in Abingdon.

The four-year-old, owned by James Athey and wife Kat, got stuck after running away on Saturday.

Spencer was dehydrated after spending so long trapped underground and spent the night at Abivale vets but was well enough to return home yesterday and picked out his favourite spot on the sofa.

Mrs Athey, 30, from Abingdon, said: “Spencer is home safe and well.”

Dad-of-three Mr Athey, 32, a plumber, said the Spaniel was so dehydrated after his ordeal that at first he needed to be attached to a drip.

He added: “The whole family is so pleased that Spencer is back.

“He perked up a lot after he was freed but he still needed some treatment.”

Mr Athey, his wife Kat, and their three boys Jacob, eight, Alex, six, and Theo, one, endured an anxious wait after Spencer went missing at the sports park on Saturday.