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Firefighters rescue dog trapped on Charles River ice in Wellesley
By adamg on Sun, 03/08/2015 - 3:42pm
The Wellesley Police Department posted this photo of a cold but otherwise okay Cooper with Officer Christopher Cunningham and Wellesley firefighters after his rescue at Elm Bank this morning.
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Comments
To head off some of the more annoying inevitable comments:
4) Good training
4) At the very least, it can be considered a valuable training exercise.
you forgot another huge point ...
5. Training. Scenarios like this (being real and all ...) are way better at keeping skills current and gear in good shape. Especially the rarely used heavy / technical / ice rescue stuff that most regular 1st responders don't see every day
doh ...
beaten to the reply. oops!
Also
People will do anything to save their pets. It's easier for the firefighters to save the pet than it is to have to save the pet, its two owners, and a bystander, and have to deal with any "equipment" they jerry-rigged to expedite their little rescue.
Yes, it's right for the firefighters to respond
And kudos on another job well done.
However, the fact that they do respond doesn't remove culpability of the (possible) offender.
People clearly shouldn't smoke in bed, drive recklessly, or leave guns unsecured, etc.
Not sure if this was the case here, but pet owners also have a responsibility to keep their pets safe. Many never do and then can't believe when their pet gets in a precarious situation.
Video of Wellesley dog rescue up now
http://theswellesleyreport.com/2015/03/deja-vu-wellesley-fire-police-dep...
A dog rescue by Wellesley police/fire got the firefighters on The Ellen Show last year...
Great video of the dog without a leash
And then the owner show up with leash around HIS neck. Next time put it on the dog, dude. People should be cited for incidents like this and be forced to pay fines that could go towards more training and/or equipment for the first responders.
That would depend...
... on whether the owner was violating the leash law at the time (e.g., was the dog on private property, was the dog in an area were dogs are allowed off leash, etc...
No, it shouldn't depend
If your dog is legally off-leash it should be under voice command. You also have an obligation to keep your dog save on private property. A dog on river ice is clear evidence of an owner's inability to keep their pet safe.
did you read the link?
The dog ran off more than a day before.
I hope you don't have kids. So such of the parent/owner as perfect hero mentality. Get over yourself.
Poor dog
He deserves better. The owner should be charged and sentenced to responsible dog ownership class. Walking your dog off-leash next to a river in these conditions is animal abuse.
Not animal abuse
Never mind that these aren't the facts of this particular situation, but your argument would prohibit the use of hunting dogs in the winter, among other things.
Facts of the situation
"The owner was walking the dog at Elm Bank Reservation on Saturday when Cooper bolted and disappeared."
This is a pet off-leash and not under control, as required by both the law and the morality of a responsible dog owner.
Hunting dogs are working dogs, not pets. They are trained and respond to voice commands (or they're useless as hunting dogs). An experienced hunter having a trained hunting dog off-leash is fundamentally different from some suburban schmuck having his untrained fluffy pet off-leash.
I read the link
I get it, the dog ran off more than a day ago. Did he grow an opposable thumb in that time, which allowed him to unclip his leash?
No, no he did not. And my kids or lack thereof have jack to do with this issue.
Leash Law
I'm pretty sure I know where this took place. It's a place where people go specifically to let their dog run off leash. But it is not a sanctioned off leash park. Any dog, even the best trained dog will take off if sufficiently enticed by sight or sound. The fact that Cooper didn't return suggests he is not that well trained in recall. Hopefully he will be kept on a leash in the future. But I'm guessing not
People should be cited for
Slippery slope there.... if your house were to catch fire, do you think you should be fined and charged for the fire department's costs?
Because I'll pretty much guarantee that your house is at this moment in violation of multiple laws related to building safety.
What is the principle we should apply, to determine which instances of violating the law should get you fined and billed for the costs of rescue, and which should not?
Relieved
I'm glad the child is okay.