“From Frigid Waters to a Warm Home: Lucy’s Remarkable Rescue and Heartwarming Reunion”
The initial days in a new home can be quite overwhelming for a rescue dog, often leading them to attempt to run away. Such was the case with Lucy, a recently adopted Labradoodle who managed to slip away from her new owner during a walk. Fortunately, locating Lucy didn’t take long, but bringing her back home proved to be a challenging task.
To everyone’s surprise, Lucy ended up stranded on a large piece of ice in the icy waters of the Detroit River. It remains a mystery how she got there, but there she was, clinging to the drifting ice with frigid water flowing around her. The situation was dire, with the risk of hypothermia looming if she remained on the ice much longer. Responding swiftly to the distress call, a team of Wyandotte police officers, firefighters, and animal control officers arrived to lend a hand.
Upon arrival, they found Lucy, trembling and drenched, lying on the ice. Determined to save her, they managed to maneuver the ice chunk closer to the riverbank. A firefighter bravely stood on a slippery, submerged ladder while his colleagues provided essential support by holding onto him with a rope.
“The poor pooch somehow managed to climb onto a chunk of ice but it was drifting away in the river while the dog was freezing,” the police department recounted.
During the daring rescue operation, one firefighter held a ladder against a nearby dock, while another descended it into the freezing water. With the help of a tool called a catchpole, they gently looped it around Lucy’s neck, carefully pulling her towards the ladder. Although the terrified pup had to endure a few seconds in the icy water, the firefighter held her securely in his arms.
Wyandotte Assistant Fire Chief Tom Lyon later described the heartwarming outcome, saying, “It had such a happy outcome. She just had those big brown eyes, and she couldn’t talk, but she probably was just so grateful.”
Lucy was promptly warmed up, and her worried owner was overjoyed to be reunited with her. After a thorough examination by a veterinarian, Lucy received a clean bill of health.
It’s safe to say that Lucy will be spending her days cozily wrapped in a blanket, basking in the warmth of her new home with her loving family.
Crocodiles push stray dog to safety after it falls into danger-filled river
Scientists believe rare rescue is a sign that the fearsome reptiles may be capable of compassion
In an apparent example of interspecies compassion, a group of crocodiles appeared to usher a dog to safety after it fell into a dangerous river.
The dog, believed to be a stray, was being chased by a pack of other feral canines when it jumped into the River Savirtri in India out of harm’s way, or so it thought.
But the river was infested by local mugger crocodiles, and three of them were floating near the stray.
This should have been the end of the helpless pup, with the crocs being “well within the striking range,” according to a report published by scientists in the Journal of Threatening Taxa.
However, the crocodiles appeared to usher the dog back to safety on the shore.
“These crocodiles were actually touching the dog with their snouts and nudging it to move further for a safe ascent on the bank and eventually escape,” the researchers wrote.
“The muggers were well within the striking range and could have easily devoured the dog, yet none of them attacked and instead chose to nudge it towards the bank, implying that the hunger drive was absent.”
The researchers say that the crocodiles were “docile”. Adult male mugger crocs can reach 18 feet long and weigh up to 1,000 pounds, according to the Wildlife Institute of India.
The researchers said they believe that the pup rescue could be a sign of the crocs having emotional intelligence.
“The curious case of a dog ‘rescued’ by the group of crocodiles reported here seems more on lines of empathy than altruistic behaviour,” the scientists said.
Aside from the muggers’ apparent alliance with stray dogs, scientists discovered another wholesome obsession that the crocs appeared to have: marigold flowers.
Crocodiles are often seen floating or laying in marigolds, often keeping “physical contact” with the yellow flowers, which the researchers note have compounds that can protect skin from fungi and bacteria.
The Savitri River is polluted with sewage and other harmful ingredients, so this may be why they like to have contact with the petals.
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