When Bryant Fritz went fishing in early November, he didn’t expect his biggest catch of the day to be a dog. Bryant Fritz, who teaches middle school science at Next Generation School in Champaign, was preparing to fish Saturday when he found Dory, a black and white female puppy, submerged in rising water and trapped inside of a dog crate in Kaufman Lake.
He first spotted the dog trapped in a crate dumped in Kaufman Lake in Champaign, Illinois. Just the dog’s head was above the freezing water. Being a lifelong dog lover, Fritz knew just what he had to do. He shed a few layers of clothing and waded into the frigid water to save the dog.
Fritz said: “It was about 3 pm when I saw the dog in the lake. Part of the crate was sticking out of the water. The puppy’s head was still above water, but the rest of her body was submerged.” Fritz said there was no hesitation in deciding to wade into the lake.
He said: “It was a cool and wintry day. I took off a couple of layers of sweaters and immediately waded into the water to reach the crate. I believe I waded a distance of between 15 and 20 yards into the lake before reaching the puppy. It was clear the dog had been in the cold water for several hours. I immediately pulled her out of the water and dragged the crate to the shore. The dog was shaking and needed immediate medical attention.”
Fritz immediately called the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital to alert them he was bringing a dog who desperately needed treatment for hypothermia and medical care. On the way, he stopped at his house to wrap the puppy in a blanket “to get her as warm as possible.”
University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine spokeswoman Chris Beuoy noted the puppy has been responding favorably to treatment for hypothermia. The hospital’s staff also cleaned her wounds and put her on antibiotics and pain medicine. Beuoy said: “We provided comprehensive medical care, and she received additional treatment on Sunday.”
After Champaign County Animal Control takes custody of the puppy, Fritz hopes that he will be allowed to adopt her and give her a loving home. He said: “As I filled out the paperwork when I brought her to the hospital, I realized I wanted this dog to be a part of my life. My girlfriend Krystal and I decided if all went well, we would name her Dory after the Disney character voiced by Ellen DeGeneres in Finding Nemo. And like Dory, ‘she didn’t quit in that water.'”
