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Stray Dog Rescued From Phoenix Canal After Nearly Drowning

Written by: Arizona Humane Society

Dog Rescued From Phoenix Canal, Nearly Lost Her Life.

It was a hot Saturday afternoon in Phoenix. A stray Australian Shepherd mix roamed the streets searching for a drink of water.

Enticed by the flowing water in a canal, the dog leaned over the steep edge in attempt to quench her thirst. Seconds later, she was swept away by the strong undercurrent, and swimming for her life.

Dog Rescued From Phoenix CanalA Phoenix Police Officer noticed the dog and pulled his patrol car over to try and rescue her. The police officer called AHS’ Emergency Animal Medical Technicians™ (EAMTs™).

The officer held onto EAMT Andy’s belt as he leaned over the canal ledge to rescue the dog as she floated past. The dog slipped right through Andy’s fingertips. She was giving up hope as her body sunk further under water with every second that passed. Suddenly, the dog stopped swimming. Her head sank underwater as she passed out from exhaustion.

It was Andy’s last chance. Using a catch pole, he grabbed a hold of her right before she slipped under the murky water. The police officer helped pull the sopping wet canine out of the water. Andy checked the dog’s pulse and body temperature and rushed her to the Second Chance Animal Trauma Hospital™.Dog Rescued From Phoenix Canal

Upon examination, our trauma hospital veterinarians found that she was very malnourished and incredibly weak, unable to stand on her own.

Her paws were wounded and her toe nails were completely worn down from her attempts to climb out of the canal. The medical team administered IV fluids, gave her medication and wrapped her in blankets. Everyone hoped that she’d make it through the night.

Canal Dog is on the Road to Recovery

Canal Dog rescued by Phoenix PDAfter two days of rest in her kennel, she is up on all four paws, eating well, and making new friends with her perpetual tail wag.

Unfortunately, she did not have a collar or microchip. She will continue under the care of our Second Chance Animal Trauma Hospital while we search for her owners.

 

We will be following our canal dog’s story during her road to recovery. Check back frequently for updates.

If you suspect this is your dog, call 602.997.7585. If the owner is not found, the police officer on scene plans to adopt the dog.

UPDATE 8/19/16:

AHS EAMT Andy made a special visit yesterday to check on how his canal friend is doing. Though her health appears to be improving and she is eating and drinking regularly, she is still extremely tired and shut down. Andy comments, “For her temperature to be too low to read, she had to have been in there for several hours. All of her muscles are probably very sore. Imagine literally swimming until your life is over, that’s going to take a bit of time to recover.”

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UPDATE 8/25/16:

Our canal dog, now officially named Ginger, has gone to foster care with the police officer, Sandor, who originally found her. Ginger will be in foster care for weight gain and socialization. She is still quite shut down and refuses to walk on the leash. She met Sandor’s dog, Patches, prior to going home and both pups were nervous and did not interact much. As Ginger gets more comfortable in her foster home and begins to open up, we hope to see these two pups become the best of friends. If all goes well during Ginger’s time in foster care, Sandor plans to adopt. Sandor and his family will be keeping us updated on Ginger’s journey in foster care.

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For updates on how Ginger is doing in her new home, visit: Update: Canal Dog Goes to Foster

In the News

azfamily.com – Stray dog rescued after nearly drowning in Phoenix canal

Fox10 – Phoenix Police officer spots drowning dog, AHS crews rush to save her life

CBS5 – Stray dog rescued after nearly drowning in Phoenix canal

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August 16, 2016
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