Rescuers have delayed restarting their search for a deaf and blind dog trapped down a deep hole in old mineworkings near Pontypool, Torfaen.
The search for an 18-year-old deaf and blind dog trapped down a deep hole in old mine workings in south Wales for two days has been called off.
Sprogget, an 18-year-old Jack Russell cross, spent a second night underground on a hillside.
Sprogget vanished into the hole on British Mountain near Pontypool, Torfaen on Wednesday.
Rescue teams arrived to resume digging by hand, but could not hear Sprogget under the surface as they had before.
There had been frantic efforts by rescuers to reach the Jack Russell cross involving an excavator and miners digging by hand late into the night.
They are waiting for a robot camera to arrive at the site on British Mountain to find out if he is still alive.
But no sound could be heard of him and the search was abandoned on Friday.
Sprogget vanished down the hole Wednesday lunchtime and the search went on until late on Thursday.
Robot cameras were also involved in the search to locate Sprogget who disappeared while walking with his owner New Zealander David Sampford at lunchtime on Wednesday.
An excavator and robot cameras were employed earlier in the day then rescuers used shovels and their hands.
It was thought the hole, which Sprogget had fallen into, opened up on top of the old workings from the former Six Bells colliery nearby.
The rescue team has tried to reach Sprogget
The rescue team has tried to reach Sprogget
The team of 15, including miners from Black Barn Colliery nearby, drilled and shovelled until 2100 BST on Thursday, using a generator and mining lamps to light the scene.
Initially, the fire service and RSPCA were called to help find the animal, but after one night underground the search team was extended.
They could hear the dog whimpering around three to four metres underground, and before they left for the night they dropped chocolate bars and crisps down the fissure to try to sustain Sprogget through his second night underground.
An excavator dug to several metres down around the hole on Thursday until rescuers could hear the dog whimpering.
But on Friday morning there was no sound of the dog.
Then a team of 15 including miners from the local Black Barn colliery volunteered to try to reach Sprogget by digging with picks and shovels and lighting the scene with their mining lamps and a generator.
Mike Doyle from the Coal Authority, which has been overseeing the rescue operation, said: "There's little point in starting digging at the moment because either obviously he's no longer with us or he may have moved into another part of the fissure.
Before they left on Friday night rescuers dropped chocolate bars and crisps down the fissure to try to sustain Sprogget through his second night underground.
"The last hope we've got is the CCTV camera which will be on site about half past nine we'll have a good look round and hopefully we'll get a sight of him then."
But on Friday morning when they returned there was no sound of the dog and it was decided to call it off.
It's the principle of the thing really¿we've all got dogs and dogs mean an awful lot to us Gareth Thomas, one of the rescuers
Before the search was officially called off Mr Sampford, said he was "very disappointed" there was no further sign of his pet.
It is thought the hole, which Sprogget has fallen into, opened up on top of the old workings from the former Six Bells colliery nearby.
"Two nights is quite a lot, isn't it, for an 18-year-old dog?" he said.
Rescuers spent much of Thursday trying to reach the dog in an operation which has estimated to have cost £1,000.
They used an excavator to dig between two and three metres below the surface but after a time could no longer use the machine because they were near Sprogget. Robot cameras were also employed in the search.
Men from the Black Barn colliery nearby have been taking part in the search.
Leader Gareth Thomas said: "It's the principle of the thing really, we've all got dogs and dogs mean an awful lot to us. We would have loved to have rescued the dog last night.
"The boys have been up at 4.30 yesterday morning and they were up till nine last night.
Sprogget's owner, New Zealander David Sampford, said he was "very disappointed" there was no sign of his pet.
"Two nights is quite a lot isn't it for an 18-year-old dog?," he said.
"He might have moved on or he might have passed away."
