There were 28 long hours that the dog was caught in the ice of Lake St. Clair in Lakeshore, Ontario.
But the Bondy family says they are overwhelmed after a publication on their missing dog launched a search and rescue operation throughout the community to take it home safely this week.
Jennifer and Anthony Bondy say the rescue operation was felt as a film with the way people joined to help them.
“It simply shows that it really carries a village and we are really useful for the people who were helping us,” said Jennifer Bondy.
He started on Wednesday morning when Anthony, in the middle of breakfast, looked in his backyard and could not find Rex or Charlie, the two family dogs that are usually committing the door to arrive early in winter temperatures.
He shot his surveillance camera and saw a video of both dogs running.
“They lowered the dock, jumped on the channel and headed towards the lake,” said Anthony.
Rex camouflaged against snow and ice
Jumping to his vehicle, he ran through the city to find his dogs before stopping at the edge of Lake St. Clair.
That’s where he saw leg prints in the snow.
“[Charlie] I went back to me without problem, but Rex, I couldn’t see it, “he said.
Using binoculars, Anthony saw a small mota, a spongy white dog camouflaged in the snow, very far on the ice.
“I went out as far as I could, but he went ahead and advancing along the wrong way,” he said.
Concern concerns on frozen ice
At one point, Anthony jumped on a dirt bicycle to try to track his dog.
While a cold winter has maintained a good part of St. Clair frozen with thick ice, a recent thaw made Anthony anxious.
Anthony’s wife, Jennifer, called the Lakeshore Fire Department for help. A member came to the water to help look, but Jennifer says they could not start a search without a clear understanding of where Rex was.
“We call everyone basically,” Jennifer said, including police, animal control and the coastal guard in an attempt to obtain a helicopter to help the search.
At the same time, a friend published in a local Facebook group that launched an effort from the entire community to rescue Rex.
“We had people who came out with telescopes, brought us blankets and coffee, doing everything they could to support us,” Jennifer said.
Sweater, food that remains during the night to help Rex return
She said people reported sightings and leads Rex’s whereabouts, hoping to be able to take it home.
But when the light began to fade at night, Rex had still been seen for the frozen ice and the conditions were getting worse.
Jennifer put a family sweater and dog food in the snow with the hope that he attracts Rex to the shore.
“We went out all night with the hope that it was calm and that it was dark and perhaps it would be less scared and would have reached the shore.”
“You start putting those thoughts on your head that may not return home,” Jennifer said.
But they kept positive, he said, praying to meet with Rex.
Snow motorcycle to rescue
They returned early Thursday morning with Jessie Schouten by Lucky K-9, a dog training organization, which brought a dog whistle to try to return to the coast.
“And then the rest of the community began to appear,” Jennifer said.
One of them, Matt Leavoy, had a snow motorcycle that used to ride “miles out” in the water.
Somehow, in the middle of the morning, Leavoy saw Rex on the ice.
“Matt jumped from the snow motorcycle, jumped on his knees and the dog came to him, finally,” said Anthony.
Leavoy brought Rex on his snow motorcycle to Jamie Leavoy and Steve Couter, who had crossed the ice covered lake with floating costumes with a strap and sweets for dogs ready to walk Rex to the coast to the coast
A call to action
Coulter was exercising with his daughters when they told him about Rex lost on the ice.
“Yes, let’s go,” Coulter said about his reaction. He directs a group called Army Crew 45 that aims to inspire young people to act with integrity.
Coulter, what snow engines and ice fish, grabbed his floating team from his home and went to the beach where he found Jamie waiting to go out with his team.
The meeting video captures the moment
Anthony said he felt like a movie, watching the rescue that takes place through Windsor’s photographer with Rye’s drone.
Twenty -eight hours after Rex ran for the first time, he returned to human hands.
“We were crying with joy, and all the people there, probably 30 people there in Parkette, they were crying and happy,” Anthony said.
Coulter, through tears, said that seeing everyone joining to help a family was an incredible experience.
“The most beautiful thing that came out of this was that this family recovered his dog and I could witness that with all these beautiful people,” he said.
“When you fight to grow when you’re young, you fight your value. I found my worth yesterday.”
Jennifer said Rex is “completely unscathed,” dry and healthy, who enjoyed a large bowl of food and a nap.
“It was a safe miracle.”
