Canine misadventures in the canal

On an otherwise balmy Sunday afternoon, an unpleasant wind made for an indoor lunch. Serving lunch in the kitchen, at least provided a view towards the lawn and the spot where we would have eaten. As we sat down, the wind dropped, and the garden went quiet but for the sound of the birds.

A perky Yorkshire terrier waiting for her family to fetch her

The quietness extended to the town where everybody seemed to be enjoying a relaxed Sunday lunch. Although it was tempting to move our lunch back to the lawn, we decided to stay at the yellowwood kitchen table. Just before dessert, we both heard an unfamiliar sound emanating from the garden.

To me, it sounded like a large animal drinking water. Leaving the table abruptly, I followed the sound to the canal. Although the sound grew fainter, I still could not identify the source. I looked down the canal and, in the distance, saw what I thought was a small random object floating along.

On further observing how the ‘piece of dirt’, by now ten to fifteen meters distant, alternated direction between opposite canal edges, it dawned on me that it was a small dog trying to escape a tragic watery fate. I realized that the quickest way to reach the dog, now rapidly gaining distance on the strong flow, was by wading through the canal to reach the road alongside on which I could put in a sprint. The shock of the icy cold water on my skin let me instantly realise that swimming after the dog was not even a possibility.

When I reached the bank alongside the dog, I saw it was a Yorkshire Terrier. I called to get her attention. I hoped that she would swim towards me so I could lift her out. The tiny dog’s face reflected sheer terror. She did not respond to my calls. It was clear to me that the tiny dog was losing her fight against the water. Her head disappearing beneath the water at times. I jumped back into the canal. When the dog saw me, she tried in vain to swim towards me. The current was too strong for her now exhausted little body.

I reached out and grabbed the tiny body that was shaking uncontrollably. I placed her gently on the bank as I climbed out. Carrying her home, she shook uncontrollably in my hands. She was freezing cold and suffering from a combination of hypothermia and shock. I realized that I needed to get her dry and warm as quickly as possible.

Keith handed me a towel when I got home. I found a sunny spot in a warm room in which to set her down to be dried. Wrapping her in the towel, I proceeded to dry her and try to get her body temperature up.  The shaking initially seemed to worsen. I decided that rubbing was not enough. I drew up a small fan-heater and sat on the floor with the little dog in the warm sunshine streaming into the room.

Although weak, she did not like the sound of the fan-heater and crawled deeper into my arms. After a while, with her hair dried she started to look like a dog again. Where she sat in front of the heater, she must have realized that it was deeply comforting to sit in the warm air coming from the fan and being rubbed behind the ears and under the chin.

The Yorkshire terrier enjoying the sun and fan heater

The shaking became intermittent with wild bouts of trembling and then moments of stillness. When the shaking finally ceased and she was dry and warm to the touch, I left her in order to fetch my phone. When I returned, she was drying herself on the coir door mat.

When she saw me, she came back to the towel and allowed me to photograph her. I took a photograph of her and her collar and sent it to four friends in town that might be able to help me identify her and trace her family.

When Keith came to see how she was doing, she ran towards him with her tail wagging as to say hello. That was a clear indication that the whole experience was behind her and that she would be okay.

One friend shared it to the Bonnievale social media group. While we waited for a response, I decided to take her to our neighbour and ask if she would mind looking after her when we had to leave for the journey to Cape Town later. I had hardly knocked on the door, when I saw a car come rushing up from town and making a u-turn to stop in front of our house. A girl got out and ran to the gate with a worried expression on her face. I called to her from across the road and when she saw the dog in my arms, she came running. Handing her the dog, she was joined by her mom and sister. From the time the photographs were shared, it had taken 20 minutes to trace her family and reunify them with the little dog. That is all thanks to the power of social media.

Her mom explained that they were not even aware that she was missing when they saw the post on the social media group. They were clearly relieved to find their dog unharmed. The dog was happily reunited with her family, tail wagging as if nothing had happened. I was relieved to hand the little dog back to her family.

The rescued Cape canary

How this tiny Yorkshire Terrier ended up in the canal, and how long she must have been in the freezing water, we will never know. Being attuned to the familiar sounds of the garden, had resulted in the investigation of the unfamiliar. Thus, saving the life of a much-loved little dog.

This is my fourth animal rescue from the canal. The first, some years ago, was a fox-terrier while on a summer’s evening we were braaiing. The moment he had recovered from the ordeal, he repaid us by stealing nearly a kilogram of sausage from the braai. There was a brief moment when the idea to throw him back into the canal flashed through my mind. 

The Vlei rat just before the rescue

Then there was the vlei rat (Otomys Irroratus) and the Cape Canary. Rescuing animals from the canal comes naturally to us. How they find themselves in there has remained a mystery to us each time. I am happy to save them. The reward is to see them fly off, or scurrying into the bushes, or being united with a family that loves them. 

On a warm winter’s day, we were able to spread the magic of Towerwater through the privilege of saving another life.