It’s amazing they noticed him.
In August, a Good Samaritan spotted a small animal struggling along a canal in California and immediately reached out to the Redwood City Fire Department. Responders quickly dispatched a rescue team to assist.
Fire Captain Chris Clow deployed a drone to get an aerial view and soon located the frightened brown dog swimming in the canal. He communicated the dog’s position to the teams on land and in the water, guiding them to the animal.
At first, the dog hesitated to approach the shore, wary of the rescuers waiting nearby. Rescue members patiently guided him toward safety.
“He would swim toward the bank, then back away whenever someone got close,” Clow explained to The Dodo. “Once the boat arrived and the drone hovered above, he began swimming toward the shore despite both. I kept the drone close enough to ensure he stayed near land and didn’t drift back into the canal.”
Eventually, rescuers carefully lifted the dog by the scruff and brought him to the walking path, where San Mateo County Animal Control was waiting to take him to safety.
“He was exhausted and frightened,” Clow said.
Later, animal control contacted the dog’s family, and the reunion was joyful. The pup returned home safe and sound.
Clow hopes this incident reminds pet owners to secure their yards, leash their dogs near water, and ensure pets are microchipped.
“The teamwork between the ground crews, boat, and drone is part of what we train for,” Clow noted. “We’re grateful that we could use that training to save this dog’s life.”