Firefighter rescues Newton dog from Charles River

NEWTON, Mass. -- A dog was rescued Tuesday night on the Charles River. Boston firefighters pulled "Trooper," a 7-year-old Labrador retriever from the icy waters.

He is lethargic, but has earned his name. Trooper is now recovering at home in Newton after surviving a terrifying 90 minutes on the icy Charles Tuesday night.

“The body temperature was 85 [degrees] and he was making these moaning noises like a cow,” said Gina Kennedy, Trooper’s owner.

A Boston firefighter put his survival suit on without hesitation to pull the 70-pound dog out. He even stopped by to visit Trooper at Angel Animal Medical Center on Wednesday morning.

“The response seemed so different than if it was a human being. They don’t determine. They see a rescue - their mission is to do the rescue,” said Kennedy.

The MSPCA is using the opportunity to remind people of all the things you need to do to take care of your pet. This owner says she’s buying reflectors for the next time Trooper goes on a walk, though it may be awhile.

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