Ohio Firefighters Rescue Puppers Bruno and Mavis Who Were Struggling to Stay Afloat in Icy Water

Their owner kept calling their names to keep them above water while they waited anxiously for the rescue team.
By Chad Taylor February 07, 2022 Advertisement Pin FB More Tweet Email Send Text Message Print
brown standard poodle running on frozen pond Credit: Teemu Tretjakov / Getty

Kimberly Payne was visiting her mother in Whitewater Township, Ohio, on Jan. 25 with her two dogs, Bruno and Mavis. Everyone was supposed to stay inside where it was warm and cozy, but Bruno is a poodle and poodles are well known for their intelligence, so when he found a broken latch allowing him to push the door open, that's exactly what he did.

Once outside, with sister Mavis in tow, Bruno began exploring. And that's when the two dogs made their way over to a neighbor's yard and out onto a frozen lake. Unfortunately, the ice wasn't thick enough to support two curious doggos, and Bruno and Mavis fell through. The neighbor spotted them struggling in the icy water and knocked on the door, alerting Payne.

Payne called the fire department and tried to come up with some possibilities for helping her dogs in the meantime. She first considered climbing out onto the ice herself, but she thought better of it and settled for calling out to the dogs from the shore in an effort to keep them afloat.

"I noticed when I would get quiet to try and catch my breath, he would slide back down under the water, so I just kept saying, 'Bruno, Bruno, come on,'" Payne told WKRC.

Firefighters arrived on the scene after about 20 minutes and were able to climb out onto the ice and bring the dogs to safety shortly thereafter. The rescue only took nerve-wracking eight minutes, according to WKRC. 

"The dogs had their paws up, and the one dog had actually slipped back down off the ice and he was getting really tired," Whitewater Township Fire Department Lt. Chris Gundrum told the news station.

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Bruno and Mavis were taken to the veterinarian and checked out, and it was another two hours before Bruno was able to walk again. However, now both dogs are back home and doing fine, all thanks to the fast action of the Whitewater Township FD.

"Thank you for the bravery to go step on that ice 'cause I know I was scared, too, so thank you for your bravery," Payne said.