A day after firefighters had to cut him out of the ice on the North Saskatchewan River, one family’s Great Pyrenees dog is recovering, and is expected to go home in the coming days.
Emergency crews had to use axes to pull Rosco from the ice on the river late Monday morning, his owner Dave Baird said he had been missing since Sunday – and he didn’t respond to their calls.
However, on Monday morning Baird’s daughter Mikaela managed to find Rosco in the river near their rural Edmonton home – after he was rescued, Rosco was rushed to the Edmonton Veterinarians Emergency Clinic.
“His muscles are just so tired that he just needs to rest, but medically he’s in really good shape,” Baird said.
One vet who treated Rosco said his is a remarkable case, as it’s estimated the dog was in the water for several hours, so long that his body was frozen into the ice.
“I’ve done [emergency veterinary medicine] for nine years, I don’t know that I’ve ever had a dog that’s actually been frozen in ice that’s come in,” Dr. John Williamson said.
The Baird family, and Williamson, credit Rosco’s survival to his thick coat, and breed that’s suited to being outside in the bitter cold.
“Being a Great Pyrenees, he’s the type of dog that’s been bred to live outdoors on a continuous basis,” Williamson said. “He has a very, very thick, fur coat.
“I’m sure that saved his life.”
Williamson said this case is not one of animal neglect.
“The dog, I’m sure, chased something over there, whatever it was, he was doing his job,” Williamson said.
Rosco’s ‘job’ is on the family’s horse ranch, where the family said they have lost livestock to coyotes in the past – but now, the predators are not often seen nearby because of Rosco and his partner, the family’s other big dog, Abbie.
The pair were reunited at the veterinary clinic Tuesday, Mikaela Baird said Abbie led her down to where Rosco was found in the river Monday.
The dog is expected to stay at the clinic for about another day before he’s allowed to go home.
With files from Susan Amerongen
