The amazing tale of Bryant Fritz’s bravery in rescuing Dory, a helpless puppy stuck in an icy lake.
Bryant Fritz had no idea that his routine fishing trip in early November would turn into a heroic act. While preparing for a day by the lake, he stumbled upon a heartbreaking sight- a black and white female puppy named Dory trapped inside a submerged dog crate at the Kaufman Lake in Champaign, Illinois. As a science teacher at Next Generation School, Bryant was a lifelong dog lover and knew he had to save Dory. Without any hesitation, he shed some clothing layers and waded into the chilly waters to rescue the helpless pup. Despite only Dory’s head being above the freezing waterline, Bryant didn’t think twice and successfully saved her. “There was no question in my mind; I had to wade into the lake to save her” recalls Bryant vividly.
He shared that despite the chilly weather, he bravely went into the water and removed some of his layers to rescue the puppy from the crate. He estimated that he waded around 15 to 20 yards in the lake before reaching her. The poor pup had been in the cold water for hours, and her injuries were severe. Blood was everywhere, and she had lost a lot of fur from her back. Her paws were heavily damaged, and she seemed to be in agonizing pain. Although she was just a 15-20 pound puppy, she shivered uncontrollably with her eyes shut.
Bryant acted quickly and called the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at the University of Illinois, without any delay. He needed to take a dog that had visible wounds, hypothermia, and possibly more for treatment. While on the way, he took a quick stop at his house to wrap the cold puppy in a warm blanket to give it some comfort.
According to a representative named Chris Beuoy from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois, the chilly puppy is doing much better after receiving treatment for hypothermia.
The medical team at the hospital took great care to clean her wounds and provide her with antibiotics and painkillers. According to Beuoy, it was unclear whether the dog would require further treatment for her injuries, but she was given additional care on the following day.
Champaign County Animal Control has taken the responsibility of looking after Dory now. However, Bryant is hopeful that he will be allowed to adopt Dory and give her a permanent and affectionate home. He expressed his desire saying, “When I was completing the paperwork for Dory’s admission to the hospital, I realized that I wanted this adorable dog to be a part of my life. My girlfriend Krystal and I have decided to name her Dory, after the character from Finding Nemo, who was voiced by Ellen DeGeneres. Dory is similar to her namesake and refuses to give up even in the water.”