‘It was very scary’: Windsor, Ont. dog owner recounts icy river rescue after husky pulled to safety

A husky has been rescued from an icy river by police, and the owner is now speaking out. CTV Windsor’s Chris Campbell reports.

Police in Windsor, Ont., are being credited with a quick and coordinated rescue after pulling an 11-year-old husky from the icy waters of the Detroit River over the weekend.

Speaking with CTV News, Sasha Dhillon said she was walking her dog, Ace, on Saturday when the situation turned dangerous within seconds.

“He’s a Siberian husky, so they do like to prance around in the snow,” Dhillon said.

She said Ace was running nearby when he stepped onto ice along the river’s edge.

“We were taking a walk and there was nobody around. He’s running around and within seconds, he’d sort of taken one side step onto the ice and before you know it, his paws had spread out and he was sliding towards the river and plop! He just fell in,” she explained.

Dhillon said her initial reaction was to rush onto the ice herself but quickly realized that could have made things worse.

“My instinct was obviously to run out and want to get on there, but I knew that would be two of us in the river. So, I called Windsor police straight away, and … within minutes, sirens and there were three officers running over,” she recalled.

Police said officers worked together to rescue the dog, with one officer positioning himself on the ice to reach Ace.

“He was on his tummy and squiggled right to the edge when the third officer threw a buoy with a rope. So, he had the buoy right there on his right, and then with his left hand, he just put his hand into the water and grabbed Ace by the collar. Within seconds, Ace was out and shaking it off,” Dhillon explained.

“It was scary. It was very scary!”

Dhillon said neighbours also rushed in to help as Ace was pulled from the freezing water.

“He was sort of howling, ‘Hey, get me out of here,’ in his own language,” she said.

“One of the neighbors heard, and he came dashing out. So, by the time Ace is shaking off the water, the neighbor had grabbed a blanket and was wrapping him up and was really gracious to take us home.”

Dhillon praised the officers for their fast response.

“They were really fast. I can’t believe how quickly they turned up. And I can’t believe how quickly it all happened,” she stated.

Ace was taken home, dried off and monitored, with Dhillon saying both she and her dog were doing well shortly after.

“After shaking it off, we got him home and dried and (within) a couple of hours, he and I seem to be perfectly okay,” she said.

Dhillon said the experience serves as an important reminder to call for help in emergencies near frozen water.

“Call the police. Sometimes we don’t go with our gut instincts. We start panicking. But the fact that I called them immediately, they were able to respond. If we don’t call them immediately, then we can’t really blame them for turning up late,” she said.

Pet safety advocates say dogs — even cold-weather breeds — are at serious risk around icy water.

“Your husky may like being outside a lot, but they have a double coat. So, the first coat is pretty water resistant, but the undercoat is more of an insulating coat. If that coat gets wet, then your dog’s in trouble, just like any other dog,” said Myriam Armstrong, executive director of Pet and Wildlife Rescue in Chatham.

“To every pet owner, whether you have a chihuahua or husky, if the water is really cold, just don’t let your dog go in the water,” she said.

Armstrong said frozen rivers, lakes, and ponds can be especially dangerous when covered in snow.

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“My main message would be to stay far away from them, especially with the snow-covered ground,” she said.

“You don’t really want to guess where the water starts and where land ends.”

She also cautioned people not to attempt rescues themselves.

“Just stay away from it. Honestly, that’s what we tell our officers. We don’t do on-water rescue for a reason,” Armstrong said.

“And also to let people know to never go on the ice to try and rescue the dogs themselves because then you have to call 911 to rescue a dog and a person,” Armstrong said.

Armstrong added that keeping dogs leashed can help prevent close calls.

“Don’t go near it. It’s not worth the chance of losing your pet in the water. And a great way to avoid any issue is just keep your dog on a leash, which is usually required by law in most counties,” she said.

As for Ace, Dhillon said future walks will look a little different.

“He’s very well disciplined, but regardless, obviously being cautious and being extra careful. No. We won’t be taking walks by the river anytime soon,” she said with a laugh.