Riverside County Animal Services officer rescues two dogs from Gage Canal

 A Riverside County animal control officer rescued two dogs this morning that were stuck in the Gage Canal.

A passerby walking with her husband and their own dogs noticed the trapped dogs at about 6 a.m. and called Riverside County Animal Services to report the trapped pooches. They were rescued within 30 minutes.

“All of a sudden we saw two, big, black heads pop up and they started barking,” said Carolyn Badger. “There were some ducks keeping them company, too.”

The dogs, both Rottweilers, were located in the Gage Canal near Jackson Street and just south of the California Citrus State Historic Park in Riverside. The canal’s origin dates to the mid-1880s and has been vital in the irrigation of the region’s citrus groves.

Officer Mike Cox rescued the dogs with assistance from Sgt. Jason Sanders and officer Ramon Rodriguez. A city of Riverside employee assisted the officers by unlocking a security gate where one of the dogs remained. The female Rottweiler swam under the fence toward the officer, but the male stayed on the other side.

“I’m assuming fireworks played a factor in how they ended up in the canal,” Cox said. “Dogs running scared is very common at this time of year. They might have run into the canal or were dehydrated and tried to get water from the canal and took the plunge.”

The canal isn’t deep, but its walls are slimy, making it difficult for dogs to climb out – something that officers with Riverside County Animal Services have seen occasionally. Unfortunately, both Rottweilers were “naked dogs,” a term the department uses when the dogs do not have collars, nor microchips. Officer Cox used a microchip scanner in the field, but the scan proved fruitless.

“We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to have dog tags and microchips for your pets,” Animal Services Director Erin Gettis said. “This is critical for faster reunions in the field. I feel so bad that these dogs ended up in the canal, but so happy they were spotted and rescued.”

Badger, who was walking with her husband, Leo, is very familiar with Riverside County Animal Services. She is the board president with the Animal Solutions Konnection (ASK) Foundation, a nonprofit organization that assists the county with various grants and programs.

“Thank goodness they were saved so quickly,” Badger said. “There were so many illegal fireworks last night. I feel terrible for all the frightened dogs out there.”

The dogs were transported to the Western Riverside County/City Animal Shelter in Jurupa Valley. Animal Services is waiving impound fees for owners that come to redeem their pets on July 5 and July 6.

Cox said the dogs are very fortunate the water level was low and a good Samaritan spotted the pair so early in the morning.

“Both dogs appear to be in good shape – just tired and very wet,” he said.