When Bryant Fritz first discovered the dog
As Bryant Fritz strolled along the shore of Kaufman Lake in Champaign, Illinois, one day last month, looking for the right fishing spot, he had no idea not only was his life about to change forever, but he was about to save a life heroically.
All of a sudden, the middle school teacher heard grunting noises and saw something in the water that caught his eye.
He looked closer, then closer, and closer, as his mind fought to process what he was seeing.
There was a dog locked in a crate sinking into the frigid lake. She kept swimming, trying to keep her head above the water to stay alive.
Picture Bryant Fritz took for police when he first discovered the pup
"The shock and reality of what I was looking at started to set in," Fritz told Watchdog Mary. "I remember feeling my heart pounding and a sense of urgency and panic. I was only able to see part of the crate and her head, as the water level was just below her ears. She could tell I was there but could barely open her eyes. I immediately knew she did not end up in the water by accident."
If this dog did not get out of the sinking crate, she would drown. She had no way of escaping.
"I looked around for someone to help, but there was nobody around the lake at that time," Fritz said. "It was a very cold and windy day. I thought about calling for help, but I didn't know how long she had been in the water at that point. I thought an extra five or ten minutes waiting for help might be too long, and I didn't want to leave her."
Fritz wasted no time leaping into action. He dropped his fishing rod and tackle box.
He snapped a picture of the pup in the water with his phone, so he had evidence to show the police, then tossed the phone, his wallet and keys on the ground.
He rushed into the lake and waded waist-high into the chilly water. He grabbed the crate and pulled it, with the pup still inside, to shore.
Pup in the crate after Fritz rescued her
As the water rushed out of the crate, the sad story of whatever happened to this dog became even more visible. She was missing fur, had sores all over her body, and the skin on her paws was missing.
“The reality of her condition was unnerving,” Fritz said. “It was another level of shock and panic when I saw her body. I'm not particularly squeamish, but the sight of the wounds and the blood on the grass and pavement really disturbed me. I could see dried feces on her crate, and the smell of urine was pretty strong on her. I knew she needed help very quickly, and her shivering kept getting more violent.”
Fritz quickly moved from a water rescuer to a dog emergency driver. He put her in his car, blasted the heat, stopped at his house to get her a blanket, and raced to the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
“On the drive to the hospital, I kept my hand on her shaking head,” Fritz said. “I kept saying things like, ‘It's OK, baby. We're going to get help.’ That was the first emotional connection I had after the chaos minutes before.”
Fritz burst through the doors of the animal ER begging for immediate help. A vet whisked her from his arms and into the back for medical care. She was in horrendous shape. Her body was stiff. Fritz was heartbroken.
“It was difficult for me to say goodbye when I handed her over to the emergency veterinarian, but I knew she was in the best hands possible,” he said. “I honestly didn't think she was going to make it. I was trying to prepare myself for that reality because I could see her body continuing to shut down in the short time, she was with me.”
Fritz, who was also shaking, chilled from the cold lake water, filled out paperwork at the animal hospital. He told the staff if she pulled through, he wanted to adopt her. “I knew then I would do anything I could to give her the loving home she deserved,” he said.
Soon after Fritz got home and warmed up, he called the hospital and asked for an update.
The pup's body temperature was so low it didn't initially register on a thermometer, but she started to improve and was in stable condition. The vet estimated she was about five-months-old.
Pup at University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital
“I didn't get much sleep that night thinking about it all and continuing to wonder if she would be OK,” Fritz said. “I still felt like I was in shock. The U of I released some photos a day or so after, and I cried about as hard as I ever have. It was the first time I had seen her eyes fully open, and I knew she was really going to be OK.”
Credit: University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital Facebook page
The pup miraculously recovered. When she was released from the animal hospital Fritz and his longtime girlfriend, Krystal went to visit the dog in her foster home. She totally remembered Fritz.
Fritz with pup
“When I first walked in the room, her tail wagged a little bit. I got down close, and she gave me the biggest puppy kisses. It was a moment I'll never forget,” Fritz said. “A few minutes later, we were officially told she could be ours. It was a very emotional day for us in a good way.”
The couple named her Dory and brought her home right before Thanksgiving.
Krystal and Dory
“Krystal and I just purchased our first house back in May,” he said. “We've been adding little pieces of things since then, but now it really feels like home with Dory. I cooked our first Thanksgiving meal, and we just enjoyed the time together as a new family. We have another rescue, named Finn, and he absolutely adores her. They got along right away.”
Dory with her new dog brother
And Fritz had quite a busy month expanding his family. He also appeared on The Ellen Show as a “dog rescue hero” and proposed to Krystal. (It's seriously a great moment.)
Fritz said there's only one word that describes this entire situation. “For several weeks, the word miracle kept resurfacing in my thoughts,” he said. “I don't think anyone else would have noticed her that day, and I know she didn't have much time left. We still have a long road of healing ahead of us, but her spirit is unbreakable. She really is a miracle, and she just kept swimming."
Police in Champaign, Illinois, told Watchdog Mary Dory’s case is an ongoing investigation, and no arrests have been made. “We encourage anyone who has information related to the incident to contact us at 217-351-4545. We continue to seek public support to help in the investigation,” Tom Yelich, the police department’s public information officer, said.
Fritz is looking forward to celebrating the rest of the holidays with his new family. He encourages anyone who has tips about Dory’s past to call the police. “I'm hopeful there will be some justice or explanation of how this happened to her. I'm just grateful that she's finally home, and no one can hurt her ever again,” Fritz said.
You can follow Dory’s recovery and her new family on Facebook at Dory Fritz and on Instagram @doryfritz.
