STEADFAST Sentinel (Loyal

Oh, no! What is that Rottweiler doing up there on the canal bank? I hurried my two Corgis along the cottonfield road. What if it attacked my little dogs? Where was the owner?

I looked back to see if the Rottie was coming after us. But he just stayed like a statue staring below at the canal. Something wasn’t right. Did his owner fall into the canal? Was he struggling in the waters or dragged under by the current? Concrete canal walls are steep and slippery. The only way to climb out is to find the steps spaced far apart along the sides.

Whirling around, I pulled my reluctant dogs back to the truck. I loaded them up and ran back to the canal. Now with a closer look, I saw a young, black and brown Rottie. Approaching cautiously, I reassured him, “It’s okay, boy. Good boy, what’s going on?” He panted, whined, wagged his tail at me, and stayed sitting. He turned back to look down at the canal water. No one else was around on this early Sunday morning.

I looked below. In the dark water, a large shape splashed against the canal wall.

It wasn’t a human, but another dog, an adult German Shepherd. Clawing frantically at the canal wall, the poor dog struggled to keep his head above the water. He couldn’t get a grip to pull himself out. Wide with fright, his brown eyes begged for help. What could I do? He was too far down for me to reach. I was the only hope for this dog, but I needed help.

I dashed to the truck and drove two blocks up the road to the Circle K. I prayed that the Shepherd wouldn’t drown while I was gone. I pushed to the front of the line and begged the clerk to call the police for help with a drowning dog. Within a minute, an officer drove up. I ran over to him, and he agreed to follow me back to where a dog was drowning in the canal.

When we arrived, the faithful little Rottie stood silently—in the same spot he was when I left.

The officer grabbed a large rope with a loop on the end from his patrol car. We ran over to see that the Shepherd was still struggling to keep his head above the water. The officer threw it down over the dog’s head and it settled around his neck. It took two of us pulling on the rope to drag the exhausted animal up the slippery concrete wall to safety.

Unsteady and confused, the soaking wet Shepherd collapsed in the dirt. While he panted heavily, the Rottie licked his face. After about ten minutes, the police officer and I loaded them into the back of the squad car. The survivor barely moved. Rottie just lay quietly. Even though they weren’t wearing collars or tags, I asked, “Officer, can you bring them to my house? I’ll try to find the owners.”

The officer said, “Sorry. No. I can’t do that. Once the police are involved, the dogs must go to the dog pound. Hopefully, the owners will claim them.”

I followed the officer back to the police station to wait for animal control to arrive. I pleaded with the animal control officer to place the dogs in the same kennel at the shelter.

I went to the shelter to complete a form describing how I “found” them at the canal. I praised the younger dog who guarded his drowning pal, described how the police officer helped me save the German Shepherd’s life, and made sure the two dogs were in the same kennel.

I left and after a few hours, I checked back. Did the owners claim their pets? No such luck. The two dogs occupied the same kennel. Recognizing me, they started shaking their bodies and wagging their tails. The German Shepherd made eye contact with me and jumped up against the enclosure to express his greeting. His wet, black and brown rumpled fur was covered in dirt. He appeared to be recovering from his ordeal. Rottie wiggled around. How did I ever think he could be a threat? I hated leaving the dogs there. Later that afternoon, I checked back. Finally, their owners had claimed them. These owners paid fines because the dogs weren’t tagged and had escaped from their unsecured backyard several times before.

Rottie and his older pal have tags now. The owners read the paperwork describing how their dogs were brought in and how the German Shepherd was rescued from drowning. They assured the shelter officials that they would secure their yard.

If these were your precious pets, how would you welcome them back home? Both safe and sound.

Loyal Rottie deserved a Hero’s Medal…a Steadfast Sentinel who stayed by his pal.

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