Teacher Finds Cage Floating In Freezing Lake With Small Pooch Trapped In It

Oct 27, 2020 by apost team

During the winter season, plenty of pet owners find themselves taking precautions to protect their pets from the harsh elements. The thought that a pet owner would leave his/her pet out in the cold temperatures or just abandon it completely during these times is simply incomprehensible. When middle-school teacher Bryant Fritz from Illinois found an abandoned puppy left to die in November 2019, he did everything possible to save the poor animal. 

Bryant Fritz was taking a trip to the local lake in Illinois to fish. Upon arriving at the lake, he saw something that made me stop in his tracks: a tiny cage was floating in the lake with a tiny black and white puppy floating inside of it, reports WCSC.

Being a middle school science teacher, Fritz was trained to act quickly in certain situations. He wondered if he should have called someone who was better equipped to handle this situation, such as the authorities or animal rescue. The puppy's head was above the surface of the water, but the body was completely submerged.

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The cold temperature of the water made it very dangerous for the poor animal, who would likely freeze to death if not rescued in time. "It was pretty clear the dog had been in the cold water for several hours. I immediately pulled her out of the water and dragged the crate to the shore," he said.

"When I got her up to the shore, there was blood all over the place," he continued. "She was missing a bunch of fur on the back side, and the bottom of her paws were missing skin. She probably weighed 15 to 20 pounds; she was definitely a puppy. She was shaking so bad. Her eyes were shut. She was so miserable."

He got her out of the cage and immediately headed for the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital. The puppy was wrapped in a blanket during the car ride and was very weak due to her time in the water.

At the veterinary hospital, the staff members proceeded to warm the puppy's body for a few hours. Once her temperature returned to normal, they began to address her other health conditions, reports WCSC. She was diagnosed with hypothermia and they had located other injuries along her body. 

Thankfully, the puppy was well cared for during her time at the hospital and she was ready to begin a new life. She was later named Dory and adopted by none other than her rescuer.

Fritz had recently lost his own pet due to old age and was looking for a new companion to fill the pit in his heart. "As I filled out the paperwork when I brought her to the hospital, I realized I wanted this dog to be a part of my life," the teacher said.

Dory is now happily living with Fritz. We wish both of them the very best!

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