Bad planning, good outcome

Posted by: brandtb

Bad planning, good outcome - 12/05/06 06:56 PM

http://www.wbir.com/news/archive.aspx?storyid=40172

Dog tunnels through snow to save owners

A seven year old German Shepherd - Timberwolf mixed dog named Shana is quite a canine hero in Alden as the story spreads of her efforts to save her owners during the October surprise storm.

Eve and Norman Fertig, who are both 81 years old, were out treating injured birds in the Wildlife Sanctuary on their Alden property on the night of October 12th. They left as the storm intensified but, were soon trapped by falling trees and heavy snow as they tried to walk back to their home. Eve realized they could die in the bitter cold but, fortunately, Shana was with them.

As the cold and snow chilled them both without heavy coats and gloves, Shana started digging under the snow and trees.

For more on the canine hero, click on the video link to the right.

The dog actually dug a foot wide tunnel about 20 feet to the home.

Shana barked but, the couple hesitated, so they say the dog came back and tugged on Eve's jacket. She says the 160 pound dog actually pulled her onto its broad back and crawled through the tunnel. Her husband held on as well as they slowly crawled all the way back to their home. They made it back to the back deck, opened their door and fell in to the house exhausted but safe.

Posted by: Malpaso

Re: Bad planning, good outcome - 12/05/06 08:21 PM

I saw that. Ever notice how something like that always happens around Christmas?
Posted by: haertig

Re: Bad planning, good outcome - 12/06/06 12:56 AM

Quote:
The dog actually dug a foot wide tunnel about 20 feet to the home... She says the 160 pound dog actually pulled her onto its broad back and crawled through the tunnel.
That's one porker of a dog! How in the heck did it squeeze itself through "a foot wide tunnel"? And with grandma strapped to it's back to boot! (And dragging a klinging grandpa too.) Luckily these poor folks were only trapped 20 feet from their back deck (that's a bit less than half the length of my deck).

That storm must have come in pretty fast too. So fast that an initial jaunt "without heavy coats and gloves" turned into a 20 foot long nightmare that trapped then with "falling trees and heavy snow". 81 years old is no spring chicken, but I think even a one-legged sloth could manage to drag itself 20 feet to safety faster than they did.
Posted by: brandtb

Re: Bad planning, good outcome - 12/06/06 02:03 AM

Well, at least the dog was on the ball.
Posted by: JIM

Re: Bad planning, good outcome - 12/06/06 05:11 PM

To bad we can't vacuum-pack dog's to fit in our PSK's <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />
Posted by: brandtb

Re: Bad planning, good outcome - 12/07/06 02:00 AM

We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can
spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man
has ever made. -M. Acklam