In early February in Canada, two men were driving along a highway when a dark spot on the snow caught their attention. As they passed by it, they realized that it was moving.
It seemed that an animal had been stuck in a ditch covered by snow, unable to escape. Thus, the men stopped driving and went out of their car to get a better look. It was then that they realized it was a dog.
As the snow was deep and out of their reach, the men called an animal rescue center for help. The president of the rescue center, Michelle Neufeld, with two other rescuers, immediately arrived at the scene and fought their way through the snow to reach the poor dog.
According to Neufeld, the snow was past their knees, making it difficult to reach the pooch. Fortunately, they managed to rescue her despite the extreme cold.
The large pooch couldn’t even walk because she was too weak. Moreover, the rescuers couldn’t just carry her because of the thick snow. After some thinking, rescue members loaded her onto a tarp to bring her back to safety.
Neufeld brought the dog to an animal hospital to be examined by a veterinarian. The checkup revealed that the poor dog was suffering from dehydration and a fever. Thankfully, an overnight hospital stay and intravenous fluids helped reduce her temperature.
Once the rescue pooch, now named Riley, felt much better, her caretakers started to free her from her heavily matted coat. After some shaving, Riley finally began to smile and play.
Riley’s rescuers knew she needed a safe place where she could recover. So when no one claimed her, they brought her to a foster family, who fell in love with her.
Now, the rescue dog still gets anxious when around strangers and when outdoors. Despite that, she’s learning to adapt to her brand new life and loves being with her cat and dog siblings.
Credits to Steinbach & Area Animal Rescue Inc.
