Hardy Falls Through The Ice With Just Seconds Before He Is Gone Forever

There’s nothing worse than knowing your four-legged friend is in immediate danger.

You toss caution to the wind and do everything in your power to bring the furry one to safety.

This dramatic rescue in Ashington, Northumberland is a perfect example of that maxim, and you won’t believe the footage!

An adorable nine-year-old black Labrador was out for a stroll with his dog walker when disaster struck…

Luckily, Inspector Jaqui Miller from the animal rights charity wax quickly on the scene, and she provided some perspective on how Hardy got himself into trouble.

“He had been out walking with his dog walker when he had run into the river not realising that the minus six degree weather we’ve had recently had frozen the water.

“His dog walker told us he’s so used to paddling in the river and the sea that he just bounded off hoping for a little swim.

A team of firefighters also pitched in and helped, and a rope was secured around Miller so that she could get Hardy to safety.

“As I got closer to Hardy I could hear him whimpering and I kept calling back to him to try and reassure the poor dog.

“I managed to grab him by his scruff and help Hardy push himself up onto the ice.

He must have been freezing because he didn’t hang around but scampered off towards his dog walker.”

The shaken pup is said to be just fine with the exception of a small cut on his paw.

As for Miller, she’s incredibly grateful to the firefighters that were also quickly on the scene to give her a hand.

“I’d like to say a huge thank you to the fire services, without their assistance I wouldn’t have been able to rescue poor Hardy.

They were brilliant in putting a contingency rescue plan in place – and it paid off as we brought Hardy to safety!”

It’s great that this story has a happy ending, but local RSPCA officials are ramping up advisories about keeping dogs away from frozen bodies of water during the winter months.

Miller also notes that folks shouldn’t try this at home if their pup gets into trouble, but rather call for help right away.

“As a trained water rescue officer with specialist equipment, I was able to make an assessment that it would be safe for me to reach Hardy.”

Keep your beloved pets safe, fellow animal lovers!

Source: Evening Standard