Two people in Lockport who were boating down the Erie Canal on Saturday spotted and rescued a missing dog that had wandered to the canal’s edge.
Louis and Amanda McIntyre of Akron were enjoying their last boat ride of the year when they spotted a dog in need. According to the couple, animal control reported that the dog had been missing for 10 hours.
“My first thought was, ‘How did that stuffed animal get on that little ledge?’ And then it turned and looked at me and my heart sank,” said Louis McIntyre. “Poor little dog."
The couple spotted “Cookie” near Lock 35 of the Erie Canal, they said.
“It was shaking and shivering. It was about 20 feet off the water and probably about 10 feet down from the top of the wall,” said Louis McIntyre.
First responders used the McIntyres’ net and taped another pole to it to complete the rescue, they said.
“It was incredible,” he said. “The guy was beyond happy.”
Lockport Fire and Lockport Police assisted the couple with the rescue, they said. Louis McIntyre says he's glad everyone was able to work together to save the dog.
"Being a dog owner, I would hope someone would do it for me,” he said. “If you look at the pictures, she blended right in with the lime coming out of the concrete. I just happened to look up and you know God put me in that spot.”
2 On Your Side attempted to contact the dog’s owners but did not hear back. According to the McIntyres, one of the owners replied to their post on Facebook and expressed gratitude.
“His wife had lost her mother the day prior and she’s in Florida and then to find out her dog was missing, too, – that had to be gut-wrenching on her end,” he said.