Woman rescues dog from canal, warns other pet owners of dangers

NORTH OGDEN, Utah – A veterinarian warned other pet owners to be extra careful around moving water in the outdoors, after an unexpected chain of events Wednesday put her dog’s life and her own life in jeopardy.

Wynlee Decker said she was hiking with her 3-legged dog, Tobi, off-leash along a trail on the North Ogden hillside, when Tobi went into a neighboring canal.

“It would take him down and he would swim back up, and it would take him down and he would swim back up,” Decker explained, standing next to a leashed Tobi later in the day.

Decker said Tobi ultimately slipped past a grate, and she had to lower herself waist-deep into the grate to grab onto his collar.

“Yeah, it was dumb,” Decker shrugged. “I knew I could hold on as long as I needed.”

After roughly 20 minutes of frantic screaming and desperately holding onto Tobi, some people ultimately rushed to her aid and brought a rope.

“The best feeling ever were those hands on my calves,” Decker said.

Decker was able to wrap the rope around Tobi and hoist him to safety.

She said she hoped others would learn from what happened to her, and leash pets in the outdoors.

“Don’t take it for granted!” Decker exclaimed. “I think children and pets are unpredictable. You just can’t take a chance.”

Decker also discouraged pet owners from putting their own lives at risk, saying she lives for her children.

She was ultimately, though, grateful Tobi is still with her.

“It may have really been stupid what I did, but he’s here,” Decker said.