Don't Worry Everyone, The Dog Stranded On Lake Michigan Ice Is Safe And Sound

(Source) A stray dog apparently hankering for a Canada goose for breakfast found himself on thin ice in the middle of Jackson Harbor Tuesday. “The dog was sitting kind of nice and peaceful but he was far out,” said Marine Unit Police Officer Nial Funchion, who helped get the pooch to safety. “I was amazed he was lasting so long. . .He was out there for hours.” The dog, a 1-year-old shepherd mix, was about 300 yards out into the harbor when he caught the eye of someone on shore around 7:30 a.m., police said. A team from the Chicago Police Marine Unit arrived in minutes, soon joined by media trucks and helicopters.

The animal seemed unfazed by the subzero temperatures as he laid claim to a patch of ice that was only about 2 inches thick, Funchion said. But the dog did seem wary of the growing number of people lining up on the shoreline, he said. The officers initially tried to corral the dog to one side of a pier to keep it from moving toward open water, Funchion said. “That’s where the geese were. We were trying to keep him from going that route.” When the dog stubbornly stayed in the middle of the harbor, Funchion gingerly stepped out on the ice in his cold weather gear. He and other officers tried to shoo the dog toward the shore several times, only to have him veer back toward the geese. Finally, after three hours, they got the dog close enough so city animal control officers could shoot a tranquilizer dart at him. Funchion said he was able to pick the sleeping animal from the ice and hand it off to the animal control officers.

I’m not sure if people saw this story earlier today but it was the most stressful hour of my life. I basically sat at my computer clicking for updates with my hands in front of my face because I didn’t want to see a story about a dead dog. That’s a quick way to ruin your Year. But more importantly though this is why I love dogs. You think a dog cares about freezing temperatures? You think a dog cares about slippery ice and water that will kill you? Hell no. A Dog sees a goose, wants to eat that goose, so he tries to eat that goose. Simple dog logic. And I’m not saying I want to have the brain of a dog but I’m also not saying I wouldn’t, if that makes any sense.

Nial Funchion is the PERFECT name for a guy like this.