A 12-year-old boy, together with his brothers and mother, saved a cold and lost dog in Lębork. The dog was lying in a ditch with water on a cold, rainy day. Family members brought a blanket and food for him. They pulled him out of the ditch, took him to the vet and found the owner.
Charlie, the family dog of 12-year-old Olek, sniffed out or saw another dog in the ditch while walking along a ditch near their house in Lębork on Thursday.
– He started behaving strangely, going lower and lower, after a while he started barking and pulling me very hard – says 12-year-old Aleksander Mras.
The boy admits that during the walk in one direction he ignored the dog's behavior, but on the way back it repeated it in exactly the same place.
– When I got closer to the ditch, I didn't notice anything, only when I went really lower, I saw such a small head, and it was the dog's head. His entire body was under water and only his head was sticking out – says Aleksander Mras.
Quick rescue operation
The 12-year-old didn't waste any time and immediately ran for meals. The family was in the middle of the morning commotion.
– He came running with the information that he had found a dog in a ditch. We didn't hesitate, the whole team was quickly gathered and we arrived – says Monika Janusz-Mras, Olek's mother. Her three sons took part in the operation.
– I remember that the dog fell into a ditch – says the youngest boy, Adam Mras. – He was so upset that the dog was shaking, squealing, and almost cried, and at that time my older brother Dawid was looking after the dog, and I quickly ran home to get some dry food and a blanket – recalls Aleksander Mras.
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It was the eldest son, Dawid, who pulled the dog out of the ditch. – His whole body was so cold, so numb from the cold, that it just didn't cooperate at all. In general (Dawid – editor's note) he was afraid that something would happen to him – says Aleksander Mras.
– Just like a man who falls into water, he won't last long. The fur doesn't help at all, because it gets wet and the body cools down very quickly, says Agnieszka Janerek, an animal behaviorist.
– Perhaps New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, gunshots, all this caused the dog to get scared and fall into the ditch – guesses Monika Janusz-Mras.
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Charlie was rewarded
After being pulled out of the ditch, the dog did not want to eat. He had a collar and was taken to a veterinary hospital. Its owner was found after posting photos on social media.
– I certainly wouldn't have found this dog if it weren't for Charlie, so it's also thanks to him – says Aleksander Mras. Words of appreciation flow, of course, also towards Olek, but not only.
– Moreover, he behaved beautifully and sensibly by calling an adult for help, whose reaction also deserves our full admiration and praise. This is how you should have behaved in this situation – says Dr. Anna Piotrowska, psychologist.
The boys' behavior makes their mother proud. – Whether it was a dog or any other animal, whether it was a situation of helping another person, a child, an elderly person, I think the boys would have behaved the same, they would certainly have come to help – says Monika Janusz-Mras.
When the emotions subsided, Charlie the labrador was rewarded with extra treats. Perhaps saving the dog will also influence Olek's future.
– I think I could be a veterinarian or a city fireman, just to help animals – says Aleksander Mras.
Main photo source: Monika Janusz-Mras/Private archive