Edmonton firefighters warn dog owners of springtime river dangers

A springtime walk in Edmonton’s Buena Vista off-leash dog park Tuesday almost turned deadly for a family’s beloved pet near the North Saskatchewan River.

“She’s typically great with recall, she’s a very well-trained dog, but even in this moment she couldn’t quite help herself, and went in after the ducks. I immediately knew we were in trouble,” explained Kari Skelton.

Skelton watched in horror as her dog Monroe struggled with the river’s powerful current and large chunks of ice.

As much as she wanted to jump in and save her pet, Skelton knew that wasn’t an option. Instead, she called 911 and waited.

“Right away, I thought about situations. Down very similar from the spot that we were at that people didn’t make it out of the water when they went to go rescue their dogs,” she explained.

Edmonton Fire Rescue Services told CityNews that spring is the most unpredictable time of year for the river. While the ice may look thick, flowing water and fluctuating temperatures create weak spots.

They are asking pet owners to keep their dogs leashed and for everyone to keep a safe distance.

“She was in the water for about 15 minutes, she was gripping into to the side of the ice with her paws, and yelping and crying, I’m on the phone with emergency crews, they’re trying to locate me on the paths, trying to figure out exactly where I am, because obviously it’s a very vast river valley, and just hoping and praying for the best,” said Skelton.

Fortunately, Monroe made it out of the water safely, but Skelton is now thanking first responders who helped them recover, and she’s sharing her story as a warning.

At the off-leash dog park Wednesday, the message to stay away from the ice was lost on some, but for others, recognizing there have been too many close calls this time of year.

Skelton says Monroe is expected to make a full recovery.

“We had a two-hour nap; because of that adrenaline rush and that nervous system overload, we were both out for a couple hours,” she explained.

She adds she will be keeping her dog on a leash near the river until the ice fully melts.