“She had tried to dig holes to make a bed” ❤️️
In early February, two men were driving down the Trans Canada Highway the morning after a blizzard when they noticed a dark spot on the fresh white snow. As they passed the spot, they realized it was moving.
An animal appeared to be stuck in a snow-covered ditch, trying — and failing — to free herself.
The men pulled over for a better look and realized that the mystery animal was a dog.
The snow was too deep for the men to reach the dog on their own, so they called Steinbach and Area Animal Rescue for help. Michelle Neufeld and two other members of the rescue’s staff rushed to the scene and began fighting their way through the ice to reach the frightened dog.
“We were in snow past our knees, so it was very difficult to reach her and extremely cold, but we managed. There was also quite a bit of bush and shrubs in the way as well,” Neufeld, president of the rescue, told The Dodo. “When we got to her, we realized she was in a very rough shape and her whole body was full of mats. You could tell she’d been in the area for a while and she had tried to dig holes to make a bed.”
The large dog was too weak to walk, and the snow was too deep to carry her. After some quick thinking, members of the rescue team loaded the dog onto a tarp and pulled her to safety.
After days stuck in the snow, the dog seemed immediately grateful to be in a warm car, and put her head down on the seat to rest.
Neufeld drove the dog to the animal hospital, where a veterinarian checkup revealed that the pup was suffering from a fever and dehydration. But an overnight stay at the hospital and IV fluids helped reduce the dog’s temperature.
Once the dog, now named Riley, was feeling better, her caretakers set to work freeing her from her heavy, matted coat. After a much-needed shave, Riley finally started to smile and even play.
Riley’s rescuers knew the big dog needed a safe place to recuperate after her ordeal. When no owners stepped up to claim her, Riley went to foster family, who quickly fell in love with her.
Riley still gets anxious around new people and when going outside, but she’s eager to show her foster parents how affectionate she can be. She’s quickly learning how to adapt to her new life in a home, and loves being part of a pack with two new dog siblings and a cat.
“She is very inquisitive,” Riley’s foster parent told The Dodo. “And she wants to be wherever we are all the time. [She’s] pretty happy, though, considering what she went through.”
