When a recently adopted labradoodle named Lucy slipped away from her owners, she managed to get herself stuck on a slab of ice on the nearby Detroit River.
Thankfully, neighbors noticed and immediately called 911, prompting officers to figure out how to rescue the pup. Because she was already about 40 to 50 feet away from the banks, saving her wouldn’t just be difficult – it’d be incredibly dangerous. For that reason, they considered calling in the U.S. Coast Guard. But when firefighters arrived, they took over with their own plan.
Derrek Azzopardi carefully sat at the end of a ladder and used a catchpole to grab onto Lucy. She was clearly frightened, but after a few tries, he was able to get her to swim the now short distance toward him. Within moments of being back on dry land, the freezing pup was wrapped in a warm blanket, happy to be one step closer to going back home.
Watch the end of the 30 minute rescue below and don’t forget to share.
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