Emergency Dog Rescue in Boston Reminds New Englanders the Ice is Not Safe

Editor's note: This article was written by a Townsquare Media Northern New England contributor and may contain the individual's views, opinions or personal experiences.

Over the weekend, a Labradoodle had to be rescued from a river in Duxbury, Massachusetts, which served as a warning to New Englanders about ice safety.

Tukka the Labradoodle was fortunate to have someone witness his leap into the freezing river.

Luckily for Tukka and his parents, the Duxbury Fire Department was able to work quickly and get the dog out of the water without any major complications.

Ironically enough, I was standing on a "frozen" pond this past weekend with my two doodles in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Tukka's story is a warning to all New Englanders, including myself.

STAY OFF THE ICE.

I do not want to jinx anything, but spring is right around the corner. A few weeks ago we were in the mid-60's IN FEBRUARY! The other day was near 50's and sunny... see where I am going?

Although your mornings start cold, warmer temps are warming the air and the waters around us.

According to the Duxbury Firefighters in a Boston.com article, "Reminder the only safe ice is at the rink.”

Once I heard about Tukka's experience, falling into freezing water, and needing rescuing, I figured it was time for a PSA about ice safety.

This goes out to people from Boston to Portland, and from Portsmouth to Manchester:

According to NH Fish and Game, the required ice depth for foot traffic is six inches of hard ice.

To have a snow machine or an ATV, the NH Fish and Game recommend 8-10 inches. One thing to remember is just because there seems to be many inches of "ice," hard ice is very different than slush or "soft ice."

As we approach the second week of March and beyond, remember to keep your dogs off the ice.

Get outside and go play - but play safe friends!