CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — A teacher who rescued a caged puppy from drowning in a cold central Illinois lake over the weekend says the dog had been "clearly abused."
Bryant Fritz, who teaches middle school science at Next Generation School in Champaign, was preparing to fish Saturday when he found a black and white puppy submerged in rising water and trapped inside of a dog crate in Kaufman Lake.
Fritz told The News-Gazette that he waded into waist-high, freezing water in the Champaign lake before reaching the cage. He then realized the dog had other medical issues.
He took the dog to his truck, turned up the heat as high as he could and headed to the University of Illinois Veterinary Hospital, where he had called ahead. A school spokesman says the puppy has been responding favorably to treatment for hypothermia.
He told WANDTV.com he hopes he can adopt the puppy.