South Lake Tahoe Police (SLTP) say on February 22, just after 5 p.m. SLTPD Dispatch received a call of a dog that had been hit by a vehicle near the 3400 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd and ended up swimming aimlessly in Lake Tahoe.
They say witnesses reported the dog was injured and bit a person who was trying to render aid.
SLTPD says officers responded to the area to locate the dog and ended up finding it swimming aimlessly in Lake Tahoe, behind Lakeland Village.
They say officers followed the dog that was about 100 yards out in the freezing water and quickly devised a plan to rescue it as it approached the end of a boat dock.
SLTPD says officers were able to pull the dog onto the dock as it began to drown.
They say other people in the area helped the officers carry the injured dog to a patrol car, parked about a quarter mile away, where he was loaded and transported to Alpine Animal Hospital.
SLTPD says the dog, a large Siberian Husky named Lobo, had initially been showing signs of improvement, but suddenly passed away on Sunday night.
SLTPD and Lobo’s family would like to express sincere appreciation and gratitude to the citizens who helped rescue him and to the security employee who recovered the officer’s equipment that fell in the lake.
They say further information revealed that Lobo was accidentally let out of a hotel complex while the family was away despite having a 'do not disturb' sign on the door.
SLTPD says in many cases, families are left with heartbreaking decisions on whether to pay for life saving measures or euthanize injured pets.
They say in this case though, The Alpine Animal Hospital donated for the care of Lobo.
They would like to thank Alpine Animal Hospital for moving forward with saving Lobo’s life.
