The iced dog saga-rescue that gripped Nevis Township and area lakes

By Debbie Center / For the Enterprise
BY Debbie Center FOR THE ENTERPRISE March 31 was a gorgeous day, and the ice in front of our house on Fifth Crow Wing was quickly receding from our shore. I decided it was a great day to go kayaking for the first time this year. Beaming with excitement, I headed straight for my beloved channel between our lake and the adjacent lake, Sixth Crow Wing. I then went into Sixth, but couldn’t get far as there are only tiny areas along the shore where the ice has melted. I was so surprised to spot a man on the ice with his ATV. He was quite far from me, but I could tell that he was ice fishing. Wow, I’m kayaking and he’s ice fishing! I also saw a black dog walking around on the ice near him, and I assumed the dog was his. I eventually made my way back to our lake, Fifth, and enjoyed the rest of my kayak ride. When I got home, I spotted my friend Linda Hanson on Facebook. We got to talking about my kayak adventure, and I knew she was excited to go, too. She lives on Sixth, where she can’t yet kayak. When I asked if she wanted to come over and kayak with me, she said that she was too worried about a black dog on the ice, near her home. She’d been trying to coax the dog off the ice since she got home from work, and it just wouldn’t come. I headed over to Linda’s to see if I could help lure the dog off the ice. Together, we called and called to the dog, but by then she was just lying on the ice, mostly unresponsive. A few times the dog got up, walked in a small circle, and collapsed back onto the ice. We really thought that she was injured, deaf, and possibly blind since she wasn’t responding to our calls and was only rarely looking in our direction. We were panicked, but we knew there was no way we could safely get to her. There was about 10 feet of water between Linda’s shore and the ice, and the edges of the ice are very thin, as are many areas farther out. Together, we decided to call 911 for help. A sheriff’s deputy came over and looked concerned, but said there was really nothing they could do. By then, the dog was wandering quite far from us, still looking very dazed and walking in big circles. When I asked if they had an ice rescue team, he said that there IS one, but they don’t come out just for dogs. With that he left, saying he’d check back in with us later for an update. Swell. NOT the answer we wanted. We didn’t know what else could be done, but we weren’t about to just give up. I posted a picture of the dog on Facebook, hoping someone might know the owner or have ideas about how to rescue her. Linda decided to stay at her house in case the sheriff responded again, and I decided to drive around the lake to see if the south shore was solid enough to walk out there and get her. By now, people started responding to the photo I posted on Facebook, and my phone started ringing like crazy. People all over the area desperately wanted to help! I was driving, frantically trying to spot the dog again and figure out a spot to access the lake, so I wasn’t able to watch the Facebook responses. Strangers began calling me with offers to come out with boats, but I told them to sit tight because it didn’t appear that they’d be able to get anywhere close to the dog by boat, and it was FAR too dangerous for anyone to attempt walking onto the ice. My daughter and several friends started posting updates on Facebook after talking to me on the phone, which really helped so that I could just keep driving and searching. I kept saying prayers that I would be led to the right place where I could help this scared dog! Suddenly, Linda called me to tell me that the sheriff and the ice rescue team were on the way after all! I didn’t know what prompted them to change their mind, but was just so thrilled to learn that they were on the way! Yet another stranger called me to meet me and led me to the home where the rescue team was accessing the lake. The next day, I learned it was that stranger who called the Nevis Fire Department, Sheriff’s Dept., and ice team, all of whom immediately raced to the scene! When we arrived, there were three ice rescuers on the lake in full gear. The dog was barking at them and racing away from them. She wanted nothing to do with her rescuers! Finally, the three rescuers herded her back toward all of us gathered at the shoreline. Suddenly, the ice gave way and the dog plunged right through the ice! Those brave rescuers leaped right into the water, grabbed the dog who bit them in fright, and made their way onto the shore! They asked whose dog it was, and we told them that no one knew. After all that, they didn’t know what to do with her. I asked if they would transport her to the police impound cage at Headwaters Animal Shelter, but they said they don’t do that. I told them that I’m on the board for the shelter and would be glad to drive her to the shelter. Right after offering that, I thought, “Debbie, what have you just gotten yourself into? You don’t know this dog, she’s already bitten a rescuer, and you’re going to be alone with her in your car? AND you’re almost out of gas from all that driving! Oh man!” I could just see myself heading for the shelter with a wild, angry dog, and running out of gas. Perfect. We wrapped her in a blanket that I “just so happened to have” in my car, and the team gently muzzled her mouth with a rope to try to keep me safe. I glanced back at the muzzled dog and said “Have I got a CD for you!!” I had just released my fundraising CD of lake-inspired piano music with loon calls a week ago, and many people have written to me, amazed by how soothing the music was for their pets, too! What better pet to try it on? Like my zither books, I’m donating a portion of the sales of the CD to Headwaters Animal Shelter, in care of “Deanna’s Heaven.” I just smiled as I thought about the fact that my CD is a fundraiser for the shelter, and now I’m soothing a freaked out dog with my music and heading to the shelter. Talk about coming full circle! Within minutes, the sounds of her snoring accompanied my piano music, and I knew that all was well! Rochelle, the shelter manager, left her home late at night to meet me at the shelter. She lovingly carried the heavy, wet, scared dog into the impound. Together we determined there weren’t obvious external injuries, dried her with blankets, offered food and water, and watched her immediately drift off to sleep. Thanks to all the posts on Facebook, the owner was identified and contacted, and the next morning Sky got to go back home, safe and sound! It took a huge, compassionate village of people to ensure that this story had a happy ending. I am so grateful that Linda spotted the dog and knew something was wrong, refusing to just assume the dog would be fine and sharing her fears with me. A huge thank you to all the friends and strangers on Facebook who banded together and offered their help, to the sheriffs who returned to help, and most especially to the Nevis ice rescue team who literally saved her life! What a day, and what a reminder that we now need to stay off the ice! By Debbie Center / For the Enterprise
BY Debbie CenterFOR THE ENTERPRISEMarch 31 was a gorgeous day, and the ice in front of our house on Fifth Crow Wing was quickly receding from our shore. I decided it was a great day to go kayaking for the first time this year.Beaming with excitement, I headed straight for my beloved channel between our lake and the adjacent lake, Sixth Crow Wing. I then went into Sixth, but couldn’t get far as there are only tiny areas along the shore where the ice has melted. I was so surprised to spot a man on the ice with his ATV. He was quite far from me, but I could tell that he was ice fishing. Wow, I’m kayaking and he’s ice fishing! I also saw a black dog walking around on the ice near him, and I assumed the dog was his.I eventually made my way back to our lake, Fifth, and enjoyed the rest of my kayak ride. When I got home, I spotted my friend Linda Hanson on Facebook. We got to talking about my kayak adventure, and I knew she was excited to go, too. She lives on Sixth, where she can’t yet kayak. When I asked if she wanted to come over and kayak with me, she said that she was too worried about a black dog on the ice, near her home. She’d been trying to coax the dog off the ice since she got home from work, and it just wouldn’t come.I headed over to Linda’s to see if I could help lure the dog off the ice. Together, we called and called to the dog, but by then she was just lying on the ice, mostly unresponsive. A few times the dog got up, walked in a small circle, and collapsed back onto the ice. We really thought that she was injured, deaf, and possibly blind since she wasn’t responding to our calls and was only rarely looking in our direction.We were panicked, but we knew there was no way we could safely get to her. There was about 10 feet of water between Linda’s shore and the ice, and the edges of the ice are very thin, as are many areas farther out. Together, we decided to call 911 for help.A sheriff’s deputy came over and looked concerned, but said there was really nothing they could do. By then, the dog was wandering quite far from us, still looking very dazed and walking in big circles. When I asked if they had an ice rescue team, he said that there IS one, but they don’t come out just for dogs. With that he left, saying he’d check back in with us later for an update. Swell. NOT the answer we wanted. We didn’t know what else could be done, but we weren’t about to just give up. I posted a picture of the dog on Facebook, hoping someone might know the owner or have ideas about how to rescue her.Linda decided to stay at her house in case the sheriff responded again, and I decided to drive around the lake to see if the south shore was solid enough to walk out there and get her. By now, people started responding to the photo I posted on Facebook, and my phone started ringing like crazy. People all over the area desperately wanted to help! I was driving, frantically trying to spot the dog again and figure out a spot to access the lake, so I wasn’t able to watch the Facebook responses.Strangers began calling me with offers to come out with boats, but I told them to sit tight because it didn’t appear that they’d be able to get anywhere close to the dog by boat, and it was FAR too dangerous for anyone to attempt walking onto the ice. My daughter and several friends started posting updates on Facebook after talking to me on the phone, which really helped so that I could just keep driving and searching. I kept saying prayers that I would be led to the right place where I could help this scared dog!Suddenly, Linda called me to tell me that the sheriff and the ice rescue team were on the way after all! I didn’t know what prompted them to change their mind, but was just so thrilled to learn that they were on the way! Yet another stranger called me to meet me and led me to the home where the rescue team was accessing the lake. The next day, I learned it was that stranger who called the Nevis Fire Department, Sheriff’s Dept., and ice team, all of whom immediately raced to the scene!When we arrived, there were three ice rescuers on the lake in full gear. The dog was barking at them and racing away from them. She wanted nothing to do with her rescuers! Finally, the three rescuers herded her back toward all of us gathered at the shoreline. Suddenly, the ice gave way and the dog plunged right through the ice! Those brave rescuers leaped right into the water, grabbed the dog who bit them in fright, and made their way onto the shore!They asked whose dog it was, and we told them that no one knew. After all that, they didn’t know what to do with her. I asked if they would transport her to the police impound cage at Headwaters Animal Shelter, but they said they don’t do that. I told them that I’m on the board for the shelter and would be glad to drive her to the shelter. Right after offering that, I thought, “Debbie, what have you just gotten yourself into? You don’t know this dog, she’s already bitten a rescuer, and you’re going to be alone with her in your car? AND you’re almost out of gas from all that driving! Oh man!”I could just see myself heading for the shelter with a wild, angry dog, and running out of gas. Perfect.We wrapped her in a blanket that I “just so happened to have” in my car, and the team gently muzzled her mouth with a rope to try to keep me safe. I glanced back at the muzzled dog and said “Have I got a CD for you!!” I had just released my fundraising CD of lake-inspired piano music with loon calls a week ago, and many people have written to me, amazed by how soothing the music was for their pets, too! What better pet to try it on? Like my zither books, I’m donating a portion of the sales of the CD to Headwaters Animal Shelter, in care of “Deanna’s Heaven.” I just smiled as I thought about the fact that my CD is a fundraiser for the shelter, and now I’m soothing a freaked out dog with my music and heading to the shelter. Talk about coming full circle!Within minutes, the sounds of her snoring accompanied my piano music, and I knew that all was well! Rochelle, the shelter manager, left her home late at night to meet me at the shelter. She lovingly carried the heavy, wet, scared dog into the impound. Together we determined there weren’t obvious external injuries, dried her with blankets, offered food and water, and watched her immediately drift off to sleep. Thanks to all the posts on Facebook, the owner was identified and contacted, and the next morning Sky got to go back home, safe and sound!It took a huge, compassionate village of people to ensure that this story had a happy ending. I am so grateful that Linda spotted the dog and knew something was wrong, refusing to just assume the dog would be fine and sharing her fears with me. A huge thank you to all the friends and strangers on Facebook who banded together and offered their help, to the sheriffs who returned to help, and most especially to the Nevis ice rescue team who literally saved her life! What a day, and what a reminder that we now need to stay off the ice!