For dog owners, venturing outside in winter can be fun and exciting, especially for those whose dogs love the snow or cold. However, it can also pose some unique risks.
It’s important to keep winter safety tips in mind when taking your dogs outside over winter, but even the most prepared pet owners can be caught off guard when their dog does something unexpected.
That’s what happened with one owner of a golden retriever who was taking her pup out for a walk on Big Dry Creek Trail in Centennial, Colorado. They were enjoying a stroll by a frozen lake when suddenly, the dog dashed away to chase some geese.
It might’ve been fine, except the dog ran right onto a frozen pond and fell through the thin ice into the frigid waters.
Thankfully, firefighters were quick to respond and set up a rescue. One of the firefighters used a rope and special suit to walk out to where the dog was struggling in the water. The rescuer couldn’t reach the dog from his place on the ice, so he had to jump into the water to save the golden retriever.
It took a lot of effort, but the firefighter eventually got the pup onto the ice and it was able to climb up and shake off.
The fire department shared about the rescue on Facebook, writing, “At 9:40 this morning Firefighter Armstrong from Engine 15 rescued this golden retriever from an ice-covered pond along the Big Dry Creek Trail in Centennial.” They said it was the same place a woman and her dog had fallen in just days earlier and needed to be rescued, and this dog’s owner did the “right thing by staying on shore and calling 911!”
Watch the rescue video below: