For some dogs, the first day in a new home can be terrifying. If a dog feels nervous on the day of adoption, they are more prone to run away.
Lucy, a Labradoodle, had only been in her new apartment for approximately two months, but she was already overburdened. This forced her to flee and find herself in a precarious predicament. Eventually, Lucy appeared on a floating ice block in the Detroit River. Too scared to move, she just stood there, frozen in place. If no one had seen her and been ready to help, she would have suffered. But help was on its way, thank God. When one of her neighbors saw that she was stuck on the chunks of ice, they quickly called 911. They responded so quickly that Lucy’s life was spared.
The eighty-pound dog was found between forty and fifty feet out from the coast. Chief of Wyandotte County Police Archie Hamilton said that if it hadn’t been for that, the dog would have frozen or drowned. Hamilton made the 911 call. Officials chose to get in touch with the US Coast Guard because the dog was close to the water. But when the Wyandotte firemen got there, they had other ideas about how to save Lucy. Derek Azzopi, a firefighter, lowered himself via a rope that the rescuers had fastened to the boat. His lower body was in the water while he sat on the ladder, dressed in an insulating suit.
Just a few steps separated Azzораrdi from the traumatized dog. The dog refuses to bend and lies flat on the ice cube.
Thus, Azzораrdi leashed the dog using a collar and gently brought her closer. Lucy was hesitant to go near the freezing water at first, but as soon as Azzopardi held her in his arms, she relaxed enough that he could tenderly bring her to safety. According to Tom Lyon, the assistant fire chief for Wyandotte, “it turned out really well.” She couldn’t talk, and her big brown eyes probably only showed how grateful she was.
Each year, Wyandotte firemen are called out to save one or two dogs. Firefighters are always fast to save the day in perilous circumstances like these because they understand that pets are members of the family.
