Express & Star

Dog found abandoned on icy canal given new home

An abandoned dog which was found wondering over a frozen Black Country canal in Arctic conditions has been given a new home.

Published
The dog with firefighters after being rescued. Photo: @Oldburyfire

Firefighters had to rescue the dog, thought to be an Akita breed, after the alarm was raised by a concerned member of the public.

Watch commander Adam Joyce, of Oldbury Fire Station, suspected the ‘old boy’ might have been ‘kicked out’ by his owners.

But it has been a happy ending after the canine was found a new home.

The rescue operation. Photo: @Oldburyfire

After being rescued, he was taken to vets who checked him over before he was taken to kennels. From there he was spotted by his new owners.

Firefighters were told of the good news by K9 Search UK, an organisation that works to help missing dogs.

Recalling the day the dog was found abandoned, Xommander Joyce said: "It is a shame no-one came forward to collect him.

"There was a lot of footprints over the canal so it looked like he had been pacing about for some time.

"He looked quite nervous and distressed but he has got a big (fur) coat. He is like a bear."

The dog - who, illegally, was not micro-chipped - was found wandering over the frozen waters of the Birmingham Canal next to Hainge Road in Tividale on March 2.

A member of the public spotted the dog before alerting the RSPCA, which then called the fire service for assistance.

Fire crews from Oldbury and Woodgate, where a specialist team is based at the latter, were sent to the scene.

They picked up the dog using a special raft to get the dog off the frozen and unstable lake.

Commander Joyce added: "He is a big old boy which leads me to believe he was kicked out of his home."