German Shepherd Rescued After Hours in Creek: A Tale of Bravery
March 1, 2026
The timely actions of two observant individuals have ensured the safe return of a German Shepherd that was stuck in a creek for hours.
Image Credit: Leavenworth County Fire District 2
Destiny Mesias and Kevin Pauly were near Stranger Creek when they heard a dog’s cries coming from the woods. Initially uncertain about the source of the sound, Mesias speculated, “I think there’s a dog over there in the woods, hurt, you know, crying.”
While investigating, Pauly noticed unusual water movements. “He seen the water move, and he was like, the dog’s in the water,” Mesias recounted. They found a German Shepherd trapped with no escape due to the steep, slippery banks of the creek.
Acting swiftly, Pauly climbed down to keep the fatigued dog afloat. He carefully placed a ratchet strap around the dog’s waist, holding its head above water as they waited for assistance. Pauly described the moment, “First got there, I just stuck my hand out and tried to talk to him, and then he just whined at me. So I got down and felt comfortable putting the strap all the way around his whole waist.”
With the dog repeatedly losing consciousness, Pauly and Mesias continued comforting it, ensuring it remained conscious. “Held his head up a little bit, we just kept talking to him as he kept trying to nod off into the water,” Pauly explained.
When the rescue teams from Leavenworth County Fire District 2 arrived, they estimated the dog had been submerged for three to four hours. Assistant Chief Dylan Ritter explained the complexity of the rescue, given the creek’s 15-foot-high bank. “The bank is probably 15 feet tall, so we were able to use some ropes to get our people down to the water and get a rope around the dog to get it out,” Ritter said.
Once the fire department successfully extracted the dog, its back legs gave out from exhaustion, yet it was finally safe. Ritter expressed his relief, “It was really heartwarming to know that we were able to first execute the rescue proficiently and get the dog out of harm’s way and for the sheriff’s department and Riverview Rescue to get that canine on the road to recovery and find its owner.”
The dog was transported to Riverview Rescue for treatment. Shortly afterward, the dog was joyfully reunited with its owner, who had been searching for two days. Levi Monahan, director of Riverview Rescue, shared, “It was really nice to be able to reconnect him. The dad was super excited. The dog was super excited.”
