A dog found slumped in a bus shelter and shivering from the cold is still alive and well, thanks to transit personnel who acted quickly to save him.
The lost dog was discovered by a bus passenger at a bus stop in Regina, Saskatchewan, which has been experiencing record cold temperatures all week.
Darren Szabo, a transportation officer in the Canadian city, rushed to the bus stop to keep the dog warm until the Regina Humane Society (RHS) came.
He admitted to being scared the dog would get frostbite to Global News. "It was challenging. I realised that given the extreme temperatures, a few minutes may be the difference between him losing the tips of his ears or his paws."
When Szabo first arrived, the dog was scared and snarled at him, but he calmed down once Szabo covered him with his fleece jacket and realised he was there to assist.
"He was just as scared as he was cold," Szabo said. "If I got cold, I could simply grab another jacket. This unfortunate dog did not get the chance."
The Regina Humane Society arrived in minutes, and once the dog was examined, he was quickly reunited with his family, who had called earlier to report him missing.
"It was unusual for the dog to be missing, so they noticed him missing quickly and contacted us," Lindsay West, the RHS's director of operations, said of the owners.
Fortunately, the dog fully recovered and exhibited no signs of disease from the cold.
Regina provides a Safe Bus Programme for customers who are caught in the extreme cold. If they wave down a bus, it will stop and assist.
"It's important we reach out and help each other; whether it's a small animal in need or a person in need." Szabo went on to explain that Regina Transit shared a photo of the dog to reinforce the message. "We stated that 'everyone' should be protected from the harsh elements of this cold snap, including our pets..."Everyone, stay safe and warm out there."