It was me who saved beagle from ice lake (well, I had just got my canine first aid!)
THE image struck a chord with dog lovers everywhere.
Swimming through the ice, a woman wearing a life ring helped guide a terrified beagle to the bank of a frozen lake after it plunged through a thin sheet while chasing birds.
Now she can be revealed as a former teacher who was just weeks into a new venture running a dog day care business – and the beagle was her first ‘client’.
Selena Malortie, 31, yesterday laughed off the praise she received for her heroism, saying: ‘It’s really sweet, but I can’t imagine who wouldn’t do the same. It sounds silly, but I think I just really like dogs.’
She was walking Gia at Alexandra Palace in North London when the pet ran off. With a thin sheet of ice covering the lake, the three-year-old dog mistakenly saw a solid route to the flock of ducks she was chasing while Miss Malortie’s back was turned.
But within seconds of setting paws on to the frozen lake she plunged through the ice. Without thinking twice Miss Malortie, who had completed a canine first aid course 24 hours earlier, took off her jacket and shoes, strapped on a life ring and jumped in.
‘Someone had to get her out. I could see her struggling so I jumped in,’ she said. ‘I was hoping to crawl along the ice but it gave way quickly. My first thought was, “oh my God, why have I
‘Someone had to get her out’
done this?” But then I was just focused on getting the dog out. There was a lot of adrenaline so that’s probably why I didn’t feel cold at the time. I would probably do it for any dog, it just happened that I was looking after this one.’
A crowd of around 20 people watched the rescue, as Miss Malortie guided Gia to the bank from about 40 yards out. They were ushered into a nearby cafe, where Miss Malortie was given a change of clothes, while Gia was also dried off.
Miss Malortie, from Tottenham, North London, who hopes to study veterinary medicine at Cambridge University, quit her job teaching physics at a secondary school in December to set up This Dog Can, a day care centre for canines. Despite only looking after Gia for three weeks, she said the two had already developed a ‘special bond’.
And far from the beagle’s owner, Ina Hristova, being angry about the episode, she told Miss Malortie she couldn’t believe the lengths she had gone to in saving the dog.
Miss Malortie said: ‘Ina said, “thanks for being an angel”, which was lovely, but I honestly thought nothing of it.’
Yesterday Miss Malortie was back at the boating lake to see if Gia had learnt from her chilly experience. Looking at the expression on her face as Gia tries to dip in again, it would seem not…