A small curly dog was seen resting in the middle of the Detroit River on an ice floe by a number of visitors. He was obviously frozen and unable to move independently.
He was surrounded by nothing but freezing water and ice, with the occasional appearance of birds and hungry coyotes. Before Jude Mead appeared beside the river after four days, no one had ventured to assist the unfortunate dog.
He started to think about how he could save the dog when he saw him.
At that moment, the dog stuck on the ice was already a local celebrity, and a huge audience had assembled to watch him. BASF Corp provided Jude with an airboat when they learned he intended to save the dog. With its help, Jude could get to the dog and liberate him from the ice trap.
The Canadian drove the dog to the Woodhaven Veterinary Clinic. The dog had pancreatitis, severe dehydration, and frostbite on its paws. The dog’s name was Alfonso. Doctors managed to save Alfonso’s paws, and after he recovered, he was taken to the River Rouge Animal Shelter.
Alfonso’s rescuer Jude Mead had several calls from people who wanted to adopt him, but the shelter’s staff was sure he would be the dog’s best owner. A healthy and joyful dog was just moved to his new home in Canada after the man decided to keep the dog.
