Tippy the Shih Tzu went for a rather unusual walk Tuesday morning near his southwest Omaha home, a journey that left his family shaking their heads.

The owner, Albert Armendariz, said he "absolutely couldn't believe" his eyes when 14-year-old Tippy disappeared down a storm sewer drain in front of their house at 7906 S. 136th St. during his morning bathroom break. Armendariz said he was with the dog outside about 8 a.m. when it suddenly slipped into a sewer opening on the street.

"Every morning Tippy goes out and does his business, but because of the snow - everything was white - he probably couldn't see the (sewer) opening," he said. "I could see his two little front paws grabbing the street, but he couldn't catch himself and just fell in."

Armendariz said Tippy has trouble seeing because he has cataracts and also is "about half deaf." He and his wife, Kim, have had the dog since it was a puppy, even before their two sons were born.