ARROWSIC, Maine — A Sagadahoc County sheriff's deputy has been credited with saving a dog's life and reuniting the animal with her owner.
The dog, at least 14 years old, was let out of its home around 9 p.m. on Friday and did not return. The owner stayed up all night worrying, according to a release from the sheriff's office.
Shortly after 5:30 a.m. Saturday, when temperatures were in the single digits, Deputy Mark Anderson responded to the area of 353 Arrowsic Road in Arrowsic for a report of a dog lying in the road.
At first, he was not able to find the dog but he soon located her in a nearby ditch, where she appeared to be nearly frozen to death, according to officials. Anderson said he saw claw marks on the side of the ditch, showing the dog had attempted to climb out before her paws got too cold.
Anderson picked the dog up, put her in his cruiser, and brought her to the Sagadahoc County dispatch center in Bath. Dispatchers provided immediate care, bundling the dog up in blankets and using a portable heater to warm her up, officials said. They fixed her up a plate of food and she ate the plate clean after she stopped shivering.
Anderson then made lost dog flyers and returned to the area to see if he could locate the dog's owner. He eventually found the dog's owner and reunited them.
"A huge shout out to Communications Specialist Shaun and Dori, as well as Deputy Anderson, for providing extraordinary care for this animal," the sheriff's office said. "The efforts of these three Sagadahoc County employees, without a doubt, saved the life of this precious pet."