German Shepherd Archives - Page 3 of 4

Injured German Shepherd Puppy Rescued by Boaters

“He was in a hurry to catch up to the boat. He was literally chasing the boat,” Ronald Arndt told the Appeal Democrat. He was referring to a 10-month-old German Shepherd he saw swimming Saturday night in the middle of the Feather River in Northern California.

When Arndt and some friends pulled the puppy into the boat, they saw what Arndt called “horrible” infected gashes on his face, shoulders and back. Apparently the puppy had fallen off a boat and was then struck by a propeller.

Despite his injuries, the puppy was calm — until someone started the boat’s motor. Arndt held the puppy, who they named “Water Shepherd,” in his arms as the boat made its way back to shore.

“I have a soft heart for dogs,” he told the Appeal Democrat. “I get too attached. This dog, he broke my heart.”

Arndt and his friends rushed Water Shepherd to a local veterinarian. The pup was treated for his wounds and is recuperating at Sutter County Animal Services in Yuba City.

Since Water Shepherd’s skin was starting to die around his wounds, Animal Services Manager Diana Barrett believes he was in the river for a day or two. The puppy is housebroken and obviously someone’s pet.

“Ideally, we want the owner to say, ‘Oh my gosh! That’s my dog,'” Barrett told the Appeal Democrat. “But we want to give this guy a chance.”

The shelter is in need of bandages and other donations. For information on how to donate, visit its website or call 530-822-7375.

Within the past eight months, two other dogs have made the news after falling from boats.

In March, a German Shepherd/Husky mix named Luna fell off a boat near the coast of Southern California. After more than a month went by, her dog dad assumed she had drowned. But five weeks after she disappeared, Luna was discovered on a private island owned by the Navy. She was in pretty good shape, considering her castaway ordeal.

In November, a Yellow Lab puppy named Noodle fell off a ferry in Italy’s Gulf of Naples, but the ferry operator refused to stop to save her. Fortunately, half an hour later, boaters were shocked to see Noodle treading water in the middle of nowhere. They rescued her — capturing it on video — and returned the puppy to her grateful dog dad.

Photo credit: Greg Loesch (That’s another German Shepherd, not Water Shepherd)

After Saving Life of Freeway Frida, Police Officer Adopts Her

Back in April, a German Shepherd fell off a pickup truck and onto busy Highway 99 in Northern California. For over a month afterward, drivers spotting the injured dog near the highway’s center median would call 911, but she would run away whenever anyone tried to save her.

The phone calls stopped in early May.

“I thought something happened — she, you know, died,” Galt Police Officer Silvia Coelho told KCRA.

Then, early in the morning on May 14, a 911 caller reported seeing the dog alive in the median.

“We are getting her today, that’s it,” Coelho told KCRA. “It’s Saturday morning (and) traffic is light. We are getting this dog.”

The California Highway Patrol shut down Highway 99 while Coelho and some other police officers approached the scared dog, who had been nicknamed “Freeway Frida.”

At first Frida resisted, but she quickly surrendered.

“She just laid down and looked at us with those big, brown eyes, and was like, ‘Oh thank you,’ and like, ‘Please help me,’” Coelho told KCRA.

They brought Frida to VCA Bradshaw Animal Hospital in Elk Grove, where she was treated for a broken leg and severe dehydration. While the average weight for a healthy German Shepherd about 65 pounds, Frida weighed only 44 pounds.

After a month of rehabilitation, Frida left the hospital yesterday with her new dog mom — Officer Coelho.

“When we first found her, we were hoping we’d find the owner,” Coelho told FOX40. But no one ever claimed Frida, who did not have a microchip or ID tag.

“As the days went by, I kept coming [to the hospital] to see how she was doing,” Coelho said. “Every time she would see me, she would get all excited. I didn’t want to get emotionally attached, but it’s something you can’t help. She just won my heart over.”

As you can see from this video of their reunion, both Frida and Coelho were delighted to be reunited yesterday. “Can’t tell which one is happier!” said the Galt Police Department on its Facebook page.

Photo via Facebook

German Shepherd Leads Firefighters to Children in Burning House

Maxx, a German Shepherd, is being hailed as a hero for his help in saving the lives of two children after his family’s house in Longwood, Fla., went up in flames Monday night.

Neighbors who heard an explosion around 11:30 p.m. called 911 and rushed over to help the family.

“We heard a loud boom from a house that is just a couple houses down from here,” Chip Dover told News 6. “We saw orange flames coming out.”

Using patio furniture, Dover and his son, Andrew, were able to break windows and pull out Maxx’s dog mom, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) Investigator Margo Feaser.

When firefighters arrived, they busted down the front door and rescued Feaser’s husband, Brent.

But the couple’s 2-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son were still inside the burning house.

Margo Feaser, a 12-year veteran of SCSO who also served overseas with the U.S. Army during Operation Enduring Freedom, had to be held back from running into the house to save her children. But Maxx stepped in and led the firefighters through flames and thick smoke to the boy and girl.

“I am not surprised, and it certainly tugs at my heart knowing that the majority of our dogs and our pets would do that for any one of us,” Dr. Chloe Magaldino of Sanlando Animal Hospital told WESH. “Even though a lot of us say, ‘My dog would not do that’ or ‘My dog is such a wimp,’ I can almost guarantee, nine times out of 10, that they would put your life, your safety, ahead of their own.”

Maxx was treated at a local veterinary hospital for smoke inhalation and minor burns to his paws. His family, however, remains hospitalized, with injuries ranging from serious to critical — but they all are expected to survive.

“We are grateful to the neighbors who jumped into action, and we especially thank the firefighters who selflessly entered the burning structure and risked their lives for the Feaser family,” Sheriff Don Eslinger said in a statement. “There is a long road of recovery and rebuilding ahead, but our Sheriff’s Office family will be with Margo and her family every step of the way. We know our community is behind them too, and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of support the family has received.”

The fire, which completely destroyed the house, was accidental, according to the state fire marshal’s preliminary investigation. It started on the back porch.

To help the Feaser family pay their medical and veterinary bills as well as temporary housing expenses, a GoFundMe page has been created. As of this morning, more than $17,800 has been donated.

You can also make a contribution by check to the “Seminole County Sheriff’s Office Employee Benevolent Fund” and send it to 100 Bush Boulevard, Sanford, FL 32773, Attention: “Feaser Family Fund.”

Photos via GoFundMe.com

Police Officer Uses Drone to Find Dog Lost in Woods

While drones may be generally regarded as an annoyance rather than an asset, they can actually serve some very positive purposes (like saving endangered whales, for instance). In Pennsylvania over the weekend, Upper Gwynedd Township Police Officer Yin Young found another great way to use an unmanned aircraft: to find a young dog lost in the woods.

After Kasi, a 10-month-old German Shepherd, escaped from her yard Saturday, her dog dad, George Burns, tried to find her on foot, according to the Upper Gwynedd Township Police Facebook page.

When that didn’t work, Burns got the attention of Officer Young, who came up with the idea of attaching a high-definition video camera to his personal drone. He sent it flying over the nearby woods.

It took only about 20 minutes for the drone to find Kasi. She and Burns were happily reunited soon afterward.

“It was a good idea,” Sergeant John Brinkman told NBC10. “We don’t want the owner to get hurt unnecessarily looking for the dog.”

In the near future, this good idea might be used more often by the police department to locate missing pets as well as people. “It’s all about keeping people safe,” Brinkman said.

Photo via Facebook

WTH: Loser Caught on Video Beating German Shepherd Gets Probation

Last January, Victor Almendariz of Huntington Park, Calif., crouched over his 2-year-old German Shepherd, Sam, and repeatedly punched him in the head. Hard.

The beating was captured on video by a witness, who notified the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles (spcaLA).

But today Almendariz didn’t get so much as a slap on the wrist for pummeling his poor dog.

After the loser pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor (nope, not a felony) count of animal cruelty, Judge Gustavo Sztraicher sentenced him to five years of probation that includes 500 hours of community labor and 48 weeks of animal abuse counseling, spcaLA reports.

Almendariz can’t own animals for five years, but after that, best of luck to his new punching bags — er, pets.

The case was investigated by spcaLA, which took in and provided medical treatment for Sam and two other German Shepherds belonging to Almedariz.

Thank goodness the witness took a video of Sam’s beating and notified spcaLA. Take a look at it, if you can stomach it. Do you think Almendariz’s sentencing was fair?

Photo via YouTube