Winters in Wisconsin are notoriously bad. The state is regularly exposed to arctic temperatures, snowstorms and ice everywhere. The winter lasts for a long time in Wisconsin. One of the most notable things that will happen in Wisconsin when the temperatures drop is that Lake Michigan starts to freeze. A coating of ice covers most of the lake for a large part of the winter. The exact thickness of the ice is not always known. It could be very thick in one spot a paper-thin in another. This makes going out onto the lake dangerous for people and pets. There have been several incidents of people and animals heading out onto the frozen lake only to fall in moments later as the ice breaks. That is what happened recently around Milwaukee.
A dog seemed to have gone out onto Lake Michigan looking for food or just exploring. It is not certain whether the dog was a stray, was abandoned or just got away from the owner for a short time. The dog made it a good way out by following the ice alongside a pier stretching into the lake. Unfortunately, the dog hit a thin area of ice. The weight of the average sized dog was enough to crack the ice. The dog fell through the ice. He became trapped in the freezing water underneath.
Someone was walking by the lake at that exact moment. The person immediately got on a cell phone and contacted the local Milwaukee police. Rescue workers and police officers arrived quickly. Camera crews from local news station TMJ4 also showed up to tape what was happening. The police and first responders worked hard to extend out a pole with a rope on the end to grab the dog in the water. It took some effort although the dog was eventually brought up out of the water and onto dry land. The wet and shivering dog seemed to be in bad shape. He was taken to the local Humane Society right away.
The dog was named Michigan for the lake after arriving at the Humane Society. Michigan had become hypothermic while in the water of the lake. The Humane Society started treatment to make Michigan a healthy dog again. Fortunately, the dog responded well to the treatments. He began to recover nicely. It was not long until Michigan seemed to be in good health and was eating normally. The local news station broadcasted the story and kept viewers updated about what was going on.
One woman named Brenda Thompson from Racine was interested in the story from the start. Seeing the dog dragged out of the lake and then recovering in the Humane Society triggered something inside her. Brenda decided to head down to the Humane Society the same day that she saw the news story. Brenda had genuine affection for the animal. She decided to come down every day during the long recovery to check on Michigan. She also made her intentions clear that she wanted to adopt the dog.
No one showed up to claim the dog after the recovery was over. Brenda was checked out and allowed to take Michigan home. She was thrilled. The woman had already prepared a bed and food bowls for the dog. It turns out this is not the first time Brenda has done something like this. She also adopted a stray or abandoned dog in need after Hurricane Katrina. It seems Brenda fell in love with Michigan right away when the news story showed the helpless dog. Michigan is now living happily with Brenda and the black Labrador rescued from the hurricane.