I admit it - I love stories of unrequited love between people and their dogs. When I read stories about someone going to extraordinary means to save a cherished family pet, I often ask myself, "Would you do the same thing?"
I hope so. But I know that what Jess Craigie did to save her dog Moxie was unbelievably courageous.
This week, Craigie took Moxie and her other dog, Oscar, out for their morning walk on Lake Michigan in Chicago. It was nothing unusual for Moxie, a two-year-old mix, to chase after sea gulls, but when Craigie saw him disappear off a jetty wall, she panicked.
Then she did the only thing she could - she jumped into the 40-degree water to save him.
"I think when you rescue a dog or own a pet you are 100 percent responsible," Craigie, 34, said. "I could never stand there and watch her drown. I don't think I could live with myself knowing I didn't try."
It was a harrowing experience. Before jumping in, she handed a passerby the leash to Oscar and asked him to call 911. Then, because she was unable to get Moxie up the six-foot wall, she treaded water with the dog on her shoulders. The pair was finally rescued by the Chicago Police marine unit.
Edmund Echevarria, one of the officers who pulled Craigie and Moxie out of the water, said she probably wouldn't have lasted another three minutes in the water. He also said he wasn't surprised she leaped in.
"She's not the first and she's not the last (to go through extreme measures)," he said. "People love their dogs."
As I love mine. And yes, I really do believe I'd do the same thing to save one of them.
|
« Previous Taste dog food? No thanks |
Next » Puppy survives being thrown from truck |
