Buffalo Grove firefighter rescues Wrigley the dog from icy pond

It just so happens the firefighter who rescued Wrigley, a dog that fell into an icy pond, is a Cubs fan.

Firefighter Dave Mahan rescued the German short-haired pointer about 3:30 p.m. Thursday, shortly after it fell into a pond in the Crossings subdivision at Arlington Heights Road and Route 83 in Buffalo Grove.

Joey Moskowitz, 13, was walking Wrigley when the dog spotted geese on the pond. Wrigley, described by its owners as "a feisty hunting dog," escaped from its collar and darted onto the ice to chase the geese, Battalion Chief Doug Postma said.

"The poor little dog got real wet, real fast," Postma said. The edges of the pond - more than two acres in size - were thick with ice, but the middle was open water.

The boy, who walks the dog twice a week for the Altenberg family, attempted to call Wrigley out of the water and quickly look for a boat. Neighbors who saw the incident called firefighters for help.

Wrigley's owner, Marah Altenberg arrived at the pond to see her 10-year-old dog frantically attempting to climb onto the ice. "My heart was breaking. I knew how scared he was and I felt helpless," she said.

When firefighters arrived, the dog was howling and had been in the icy water for about 15 minutes, Postma said.

Mahan put on a cold water rescue suit and was able to get the dog out of the pond in less than two minutes. "As soon as it saw that someone was coming out to help, the dog calmed down immediately," Postma said. Mahan grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and pulled it out, Postma added.

A vet was contacted from the scene as firefighters warmed Wrigley inside the rescue squad. The vet suggested Altenberg take Wrigley home, feed him and use a hair dryer to dry and warm him.

While many fire departments have a policy against rescuing animals, Postma said, his department answers those calls so the animal's owner won't go onto the ice to attempt the rescue.

"We do whatever we need to do to protect the human," he added.

The Altenberg and Moskowitz families were very appreciative. "My daughters are so happy Wrigley made it home safe," Altenberg said. She added that Joey plans to walk the dog again Tuesday.

"This made it a brighter, happier Hanukkah for us," Altenberg said, adding "It's the best present we got."

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