A dog that wandered onto a thawing river was rescued this weekend by firefighters in Thief River Falls, just days before the ice melted away.
The Thief River Falls Fire Department pulled 14-year-old Sugarbear to safety early Saturday morning, April 21, after dispatchers received a report of a dog standing on the Red Lake River, Fire Chief Marty Semanko said Tuesday. Firefighters responded shortly before 7 a.m. to Boy Scout Park, where they found the chow-cocker spaniel mix on the ice, he said. At first, firefighters tried to entice the dog to the riverbank by calling her name and whistling, but she didn't move. With an ice rescue suit on and a tether tied to his gear, one of the firefighters made his way out onto the ice, Semanko said.