A dog discovered hunched in a bus shelter and shivering from the cold is alive and well, thanks to transit workers who responded quickly to save him.
The lost dog was discovered by a bus passenger at a bus stop in Regina, Saskatchewan, which has been experiencing record cold temperatures this week.
Darren Szabo, a transportation officer in the Canadian city, hurried to the bus stop to try to keep the dog warm until the Regina Humane Society (RHS) arrived.
He told Global News that he was scared the dog would get frostbite. “It was challenging. I realised that with the severe temperatures, a few minutes may be the difference between him losing the tips of his ears or his paws.”
The dog was scared and growled at Szabo when he initially approached, but he calmed down once Szabo covered him with his fleece jacket and realised he was there to help.
“He was just as scared as he was cold,” Szabo said. “If I became cold, I could just grab another jacket. This sad dog did not have that chance.”
The Regina Humane Society arrived within minutes, and once the dog was checked over, he was quickly reunited with his family, who had called them earlier to report him missing.
“It was unusual for the dog to be missing, so they noticed him missing quickly and contacted us,” Lindsay West, director of operations for the RHS, said of the dog’s owners.
Fortunately, the dog recovered completely and showed no signs of illness from the cold.
Regina offers a Safe Bus Programme for passengers who become caught in the harsh cold. If they flag down a bus, it will stop to assist.
“It’s important we reach out and help each other; whether it’s a small animal in need or a person in need.” Szabo went on to say, Regina Transit posted a photo of the dog and emphasised the message. “We indicated that ‘everyone’ should be safe from the harsh elements of this cold snap, including our pets as well…”Everyone, keep safe and warm out there.”