Dog saved from icy death

Brandy, a 16-year-old female chocolate Lab owned by John Kavanagh, of Whitefish, is alive today because of the quick thinking and heroics of two Canadians who rescued her after she fell through the ice on Whitefish Lake last week.

Rob Atchison, of Calgary, and Jeff Meyer, of Cochrane, Alberta, were visiting at the home of John Kavanagh and Laverne Atchison on East Lakeshore Drive when the incident occurred.

When Meyer was awakened Feb. 19 about 3:55 a.m. by frantic yelping sounds, he knew an animal was in trouble. He didn't think it was Brandy because he had gotten up a half-hour earlier and seen her sprawled out on the living room floor.

Now out on the deck, Meyer could see rippling movements in an open area of the lake ice near shore. He then heard Laverne calling for Brandy.

By that time, Rob and Meyer's wife, Kathy, heard the commotion and raced down to the shore with Laverne, where they saw the dog frantically struggling to stay above water. She was close to losing the battle, Kavanagh reported. Her yelps became more muffled as she appeared to be going down in the icy 20-foot-deep waters.

Laverne called 911, but they knew rescuers would have to travel eight miles on snow-packed roads to reach the scene. Brandy had quieted down somewhat and was swimming in an open hole rather than attempting to get out, but Rob and Jeff knew by the time help arrived, Brandy would be gone.

"We knew she couldn't last too much longer, and we had to do something to save her," Rob said.

Rob and Jeff spotted a small paddle boat on shore which they dragged about 25 feet to where Brandy fell through the ice. The two pushed the boat onto the ice and carefully proceeded to the open water, where Brandy was thrashing around and gasping for air.

"We knew if we did fall through the ice, the boat would stay afloat and we could hang on to it," Jeff said.

When they got close to the open water, Rob got into the boat and grabbed Brandy, but he was unable to pull the 80-pound, soaking wet, frantic and partially ice-covered dog into the boat or on to the ice.

The ice was starting to give as Jeff grabbed the rope and managed to pull the boat to shore with Rob still in it hanging onto the dog.

Brandy was disoriented, delirious and covered with ice. When she started to wander back onto the ice, Jeff grabbed hold of her, and the two Canadians carried the dog up the long flights of stairs to a bathtub filled with warm water.

Rob, Jeff, Laverne and Kathy were all injured in the rescue attempt, mostly by cuts and bruises from slipping and bumping into things on the dark shoreline.

"Brandy, is now back to normal, eating better, wanting to go for more walks and begging for treats, but she has no desire to go down to the lake," Kavanagh said. "At age 16, she is truly a wonder dog, with a strong will and desire to defy all odds and stay alive."

During her lifetime, Brandy has been shot in the face with a shotgun, run over by a pickup, fallen into the swollen Middle Fork River and fallen off a speeding boat, Kavanagh said. Now the dog that was on death row at the pound has falling through the ice on her resume.

"As for me, it was a good thing I was out of town when Brandy ended up in the icy lake, otherwise Rob and Jeff would have had another rescue mission to perform," Kavanagh said.