Joel Culley was out for a walk in Ames Nowell State Park with his beloved dog, Sadie, when she suddenly took off after swans.

Distracted by the birds, Sadie ran onto the icy pond and fell into the freezing water. Her dad immediately called Abington Fire Department for help.

Firefighters arrived and were able to safely rescue Sadie from the frigid pond.

The fire department posted the rescue story on Facebook and wrote, “The owner and happy companion were reunited to spend the remainder of the day together warming up.”

Culley commented on the post with a photo of him hugging his best friend and said, “I am so grateful to you all, this is what you saved she is everything to us.”

Sadie’s mom, Ellen McCormack Culley, also responded to the post. She wrote, “Thank you Abington Fire and Police for saving our crazy Sadie.”

Other members of the community also thanked the heroes and were happy to hear the sweet pup was safe.

Chief John Nuttall said Culley made the right move by calling professionals in to rescue Sadie.

Firefighters have the proper equipment and training to perform these risky rescues. People who attempt to go in after their dogs oftentimes end up stranded themselves.

Dog owners are urged to always keep their dogs on a leash as they can easily become distracted, especially by birds on the ice.