It's a very inappropriate heading for a hero who is willing to jump in ice cold water to save his dog, I would have done the same, you don't leave your family member behind right??

ORIGINAL TITLE - Is this the most barking pet owner in Britain? Man risks life to save dog on icy river

It's a very inappropriate heading for a hero who is willing to jump in ice cold water to save his dog, I would have done the same, you don't leave your family member behind right??

* Essex fire service said rescue was 'extremely dangerous'

* Mercury dipped as low as -15.6C in Lincolnshire this weekend

* Teenager is airlifted to hospital after sledging accident

* Dogs drown in Olympic and Paralympic rowing lake

* Treacherous fog causes pile-up on the M6 in Cumbria

* Much of Europe remains in the grip of big freeze

* Kosovo avalanche deaths add to the Euro death toll

Stripped down to his underwear in the bitter cold, this man risks his life trying to rescue his dog from a frozen river.

Moments later, as he inched along the ice on his hands and knees, he fell into the water – yet fortunately, both dog and owner clambered out unscathed and continued their walk.

Paul Wenborne, who took the photograph while walking his own dog by the River Stour in Essex yesterday, described the unidentified man's behaviour as a 'foolish act of bravery'.

High risk: A man fell through the ice while crawling across the frozen River Stour, eyewitness Paul Wenborne said

The man stripped down to his underwear and crawled across a frozen river to rescue his trapped dog

Mr Wenborne, 52, of Rayleigh, Essex, added: 'I was with two friends and we couldn't believe what we were seeing. He stripped down to his pants and started crawling across the ice.'

But Essex fire service condemned the man's rescue attempt as 'extremely dangerous'.

Assistant divisional officer Stuart McMillan said: 'Even though this ice appears to be strong it can be eggshell thin, and anyone who falls through into the water below could get trapped under the ice and would only be able to survive for minutes in the freezing water.

'Dogs will normally make it safely off the ice and back to the shore. The same cannot be said for people.'

The ice remained across much of the country this weekend, with the mercury dipping as low as -15.6C in Holbeach, Lincolnshire.

But as the cold snap draws to a close, be warned – there's a drought hot on the heels of the big freeze. The Environment Agency has warned that this year could see severe water shortages, with hosepipe bans as early as spring.

Icy landscape: A young boy on a sledging trip stops to admire the stunning wall of icicles hanging from a cliff in County Durham

Wintry weekend: Icicles drip from a cliff as frosty weather continues across Britain

According to the Met Office, temperatures will peak at a relatively mild 9C (48F) today. By Wednesday, it could hit 11C (52F) in the South and 10C (50F) in the North.

But an exceptionally dry 2011, followed by what is shaping up to be the driest winter on record, has left the reservoirs low and rivers parched. Incredibly, several counties are officially in drought already, and experts say that if the heavens don't open soon, the problem will get worse. 

While 2011 was Scotland's wettest year on record, parts of England saw very low rainfall. East Anglia had its second driest year and the Midlands its third driest.

The situation hasn't improved in 2012 so far, with below average rainfall in the Midlands, East Anglia and the South East in January.

Ian Barker, the Environment Agency's head of water, land and biodiversity, said: 'It has been an exceptionally dry winter and that has left us with very dry soils. 

'It would take an average month's rain to saturate the soil before we then begin to see rainfall percolate down to the water table and bring groundwater levels up.'

Icy waters: Surface of Lake Semer reflects the snow covered Pennines, near Hawes.

Swan lake: Bids take off from a small patch of melted water in the frozen surroundings of Fairburn Ings RSPB Reserve, Castleford.

Two water companies – Anglian and South East – have been granted drought permits that allow  them to take more water from rivers to top up their reservoirs. Thames Water has applied for four permits.

Mr Barker said the next few months will be 'critical' to stop the drought spreading further and hosepipe bans coming in.

Wildlife is already suffering, with fish being rescued from dry rivers and birds struggling to find food. 

Andrew Chapman, a senior environment planning officer with the Environment Agency, said: 'In  simple terms, unless we get a downpour that lasts for several weeks in the very near future, we are in trouble.'

A teenager was airlifted to hospital on Saturday following a sledging accident in Fridaythorpe, near York, at around 1.30pm, an ambulance spokesman said.

Winter wonderland: India Garrod, 16, rides her horse Blue across the Lincolnshire Wolds, near Louth

Frosty: Frozen ladybird at Watt Wood Nature Reserve, Lincolnshire, wears jacket of ice as temperatures plunged to -14C

Firefighters were called to assist with the landing of the helicopter at Bootham Park Hospital, York.

In Cumbria, treacherous fog conditions caused a motorway pile-up on the M6 near Perth yesterday afternoon - leaving one motorist seriously injured in hospital.

Around 12 cars were involved in the smash, which caused miles of tailbacks. Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAA) sent a rapid response car because it was too foggy for a helicopter.

A GNAA spokeswoman said: 'There has been one person who has been seriously injured. Their injuries were not life-threatening. Luckily there were no fatalities.'

Let it snow: Deer feeding at a snowy Wollaton Park in Nottingham

In Buckinghamshire, two dog walkers who watched their helpless pooches drown in the Olympic rowing lake were praised by the fire service for not attempting to rescue them.

The owners were said to have done the right thing by suppressing their 'natural instincts' and not jumping in after their pets, when the animals fell through the ice on Dorney Lake, near High Wycombe, on Saturday.

A fire service spokesman said the public was 'at last getting the message not to risk their own lives trying to rescue their pets'.

He added: 'It is a difficult enough job for firefighters and often ends in human tragedy if owners go on to the ice themselves.

'We are grateful the owners were thinking sensibly and had the presence of mind to stay on the bank and call for help.'

DROUGHT FEARS SPARKED

Britain could be facing a severe drought this summer after the driest winter on record, experts have warned. 

Without heavy rainfall in the near future, extreme water shortages could hit many parts of the country - with parched landscapes, rivers drying up and possible hosepipe bans in the summer.

It could have a huge knock-on effect for farmers, food production, tourism and local wildlife. 

Officials from the Environment Agency say the worst affected areas would include the Midlands, East Anglia and the south-east of England.

Ian Baker, head of water, land and biodiversity at the Agency, said: 'The last five months in East Anglia have been the driest period since records began in 1910.

'The next few months are critical in terms of refilling ground water. It is certainly something to worry about.'

Much of Europe continues to be gripped by the big freeze, with up to 50cm falling in some places.

Nine people have been killed in Kosovo when an avalanche hit the village of Restelica in south of the country, officials said on Sunday - adding to the 500 plus people killed in the snow and bitter cold across the continent in the past two weeks.

In Montenegro, a state of emergency has been declared following the worst snow fall in more than half a century - leaving hundreds of villages cut off.

But Paul Knightley, forecaster for MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said the cold spell is coming to an end in Britain - although it could take some time.

He said: 'We are coming to the end of the cold spell. It's going to be a slow process, it's not going to suddenly be massively mild.

'Some places will see a dramatic change in temperature but it may not be something people necessarily notice because they have been so low.'

He said cloud spreading down the country from the north would bring a rise in temperature and some patchy drizzle and light snow in some parts.

'The snow itself is not going to be near the amounts we have seen but there will be some drizzle which will fall on to very cold ground so we will see the risk of some ice, especially in untreated areas', he added.

Euro freeze: People enjoy a cold winter day on the frozen Lake Pfaeffikersee, near Zurich

The weather wreaked havoc with the weekend's sporting calendar after a number of matches and racing fixtures fell victim to frozen conditions, including the opening round of Rugby League's Northern Rail Cup.

Ambulance crews were called out to three separate cases of people who narrowly avoided tragedy in icy water, West Midlands Ambulance Service said.

A spokeswoman said crews were called to one man who reportedly jumped into a canal near Chancel Way in Halesowen, Birmingham, to rescue his dog. Both were found out of the water when they arrived. 

Horse play: The Skikjoering Grand Prix Credit Suisse race was run on the frozen Lake of St Moritz in Switzerland

In a separate call, two teenage boys, aged 13 and 14, were taken to hospital by ambulance after falling through ice in Doxey Marshes, near Creswell Farm Drive, Stafford.

And in a third incident crews were called to Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield, to reports of children playing on a frozen lake, but no one was hurt after police moved them away, the spokeswoman said.

'Adults and children alike are reminded that frozen lakes, canals and ponds are extremely dangerous and can have serious or even fatal consequences,' she added.

'In all three cases ambulance crews have responded to, those involved have had very lucky escapes.'

by dailymail.co.uk

I don't know what to say about this but for sure I cannot do this ever. The very feeling that I can see and feel my beloved pets and cannot hear them shout at me and trying to play with me will kill me from inside. What do you guys say about this?? ~Sagarika Deb

"Can't bear to bury dear departed Tiddles? Why not have him freeze-dried and keep him forever?"

Many owners struggle to say goodbye to their beloved pets when they pass away.

But some animal lovers in America have decided they just can't part with their furry friends and have paid up to £2,500 to get them freeze dried using space age technology.

The new craze, which is becoming increasingly popular around the world, takes the idea of stuffing animals one step further by instead freezing pets to minus nine degrees while slowly removing all moisture from the bodies.

Pet cemetery: From left to right, Joe Pycke, 37, Anthony Eddy, 63, and Eddie Shane, 45, crouch in front of a room full of freeze dried pets at AEWS in Slater, Missouri

The freeze drying chamber: Employee Joe Pycke, 37, stands next to the 48 inch diametre by 10 foot long freeze drying vacuum chamber used to restore pets to their former glory at AEWS in Slater, Missouri

Once all the moisture has gone, the animals are then freeze dried, with the result being that the pets look like they are still alive or just sleeping as they are frozen in life-like poses.

Some owners wait up to seven months while their dog, cat, or even rabbit goes through the freeze drying process in a sealed vacuum chamber.

The process allows owners to keep their pets - such as this freeze dried chow-chow dog - around with them after they die

The pet freeze dryers even restore chronically ill pets to their former living glory by using expert grooming techniques and old photos of the cherished animal.

Anthony Eddy, 63, who owns Anthony Eddy's Wildlife Studio or AEWS in Missouri, said: 'It is a very emotional thing for pet owners, they don't want to bury or cremate their beloved animal, and they want them to still be around.

'They want to have their pet around and the majority of our customers are old and have had their pet for a long time and the bond between them is strong.

'Most of these animals are old too and have died of cancer or another debilitating illness and when we receive them they do not look their best.

'We ask the owners for pictures of them as they would like to remember the pet and using silicone and stylings we can fill out thin rib cages, legs, faces and restore a lustre to the animal.'

Mr Eddy admitted that some may find the concept of freeze dried animals 'weird' but insisted it is becoming an increasingly popular art form.

He said: 'I do accept that some people will find it weird, but it is growing in acceptance and what we do is a fine art.'

Owners wanting to have their pets freeze dried are given strict instructions on what to do when their pet finally dies.

Mr Eddy continued: 'We ask all our customers to put their pet in a freezer within 48 hours of its death.

Work in progress: Frozen into place, Isis, the black long haired cat is readied to be manipulated into place using metal pins

Sweet dreams: This beautiful Calico cat looks like it has just curled up for a quick nap but it has actually been permanently freeze dried

Wide awake: Despite looking alive, this pomeranian dog from Florida has been freeze dried using space age technology

'We then ask them to priority Fed-Ex or UPS the body to us, we have an arrangement with these companies and they know what they are transporting to us.

'We have been freeze drying pets for 20 years and take customers from 48 states and even from Canada.'

The company operates 14 freeze drying chambers, including one large ten foot long one, and at any one time there are 40 pets undergoing the process at the Missouri offices.

Mr Eddy said: 'It is a very slow process freeze drying. The chamber operates at minus nine degrees celsius and over the period of up to six months the frozen moisture is slowly converted to a gaseous state and then extracted.

Action poses: With tail wagging, a freeze dried chihuahua looks to the camera, as though he is ready to spring up

The Wildlife Studio claims they can restore animals, such as this beagle dog, to their former glory using freeze drying technology

'The larger the animal the larger the amount of moisture. We remove all the internal organs and fat from the insides of the pets and replace their eyes with glass.

'We check the weight every two weeks and if the weight of the animal has not decreased after a two week gap then we know there is no more moisture left.

'The animal is then freeze dried, just like the food they give to astronauts.'

Mr Eddy uses metal rods after the process to move the pets into the desired poses.

He said: 'We are very proud of this service. Unfortunately sometimes because the process takes so long the owner who is elderly dies during the vacuuming. I keep these pets and show potential customers how beautiful their pets will look like.'

Life-like: Dozens of freeze dried pets on the floor look startlingly life-like and could easily be mistaken as being alive

Frozen: Freeze dies pets, such as this Persian cat called Fluff, is a lot more realistic than the more traditional stuffing of animals

by dailymail.co.uk

Savagely bitten? Give me a break

She suddenly stuck her face right in this poor dog's face... what did she expect would happen? He wasn't attacking her; he was clearly feeling threatened and warning her to stay away, but because she approached so quickly he had no choice but to snap at her. Dogs have lived alongside humans for so long that people often forget that dogs are not like them. For example, dogs read direct eye contact as a challenge and because they lack the ability to speak like humans, they can only bark, growl or snap their teeth to say "No" - which is then read as aggression by us, and the dog gets in trouble for simply trying to defend itself when it's frightened. Of course I hope that Kyle Dyer makes a full recovery quickly, but what happened to her is not the dog's fault.

A veteran news anchor who was rushed to the hospital after a dog that appeared on her morning show bit her in the face on live TV was released this afternoon. 

Though Kyle Dyer still cannot talk, she has told friends and colleagues that she is concerned about the viewers who saw her get savagely bitten by the 85-pound Argentine Mastiff who was being highlighted in a morning news segment. 

Footage has now emerged which shows the dog desperately splashing around in an icy lake the day before - an ordeal which may partly explain his vicious behaviour in the studio.

Scroll down for video (Warning: Graphic content)

On TV: Kyle Dyer, right, had knelt down to pet Max when he attacked. He is seen here with his owner, Michael Robinson, and the firefighter that rescued him

Attack: In a flash, Max bares his teeth and lashes out at Ms Dyers face. Animal control officers called it a 'pretty major bite.'

Ms Dyer, who had been working at the Denver, Colorado station for over 15 years, had reconstructive surgery Wednesday afternoon following the attack, and was released from the hospital Thursday afternoon.

In order to communicate, she is using tools on her iPad to type out messages to loved ones.

The dog, whose full name is Warrior Maximus, recently survived a harrowing rescue from a freezing pond and was on the show as part of a mini-reunion between him and his rescuers. 

A video of Max trying unsuccessfully to find a way out of the pond was released today, and provides some context for the background which led him to lash out the next day.

Struggle: Max the dog was filmed swimming around in an icy pool, unable to escape

Rescue: The dog was recovered thanks to a fireman, leading to his ill-fated appearance on the news

Though immediate reports said that he was not properly vaccinated, the owners of the dog have put out a statement saying that he was up-to-date with all of his shots. 

'Max is current in his vaccinations. Max has no history of aggression. Max is a gentle, loving, family dog. Max is well mannered and obedient and he hardly barks,' said the dog's owners The Robinsons in a statement.

'This incident truly is unfortunate and does not reflect Max’s disposition towards people.'

Now, Max has been caged by animal control officers and his owner, Michael Robinson has been fined. 

In addition to comments wishing Ms Dyer well, most Facebook respondents left angry messages blaming her for getting too close to the dog. 

Bitten: Ms Dyer was rushed to the local hospital in Denver and has been examined by a trauma team to determine how to repair the damage to her face

Fined: Max was locked up for observation because he didn't have rabies shots and his owner was fined by animal control officers

'I totally agree with all those saying it was her own fault and she should have known better,' wrote Cassandra Hughes Kramer. 

'The dog was being a dog, defending itself in a stressful situation. He didn't jump on her and maul her, he nipped her lip....and she shouldn't have been trying to kiss him. Maybe it's a hard lesson to learn, but hopefully she learned it.'

A number of viewers also expressed concern that the dog would be euthanized as a result of the incident, which was something they appeared angry about.

'It was clearly human fault. Why should the animal be blamed for both the owner an kyle's mistake?
Hope he isn't put down, it would be a crime,' wrote Bruno Naletto. 

Treatment: Ms Dyer is now recovering after surgery Wednesday afternoon at Denver Health Medical Center

Part of the team: Ms Dyer (left) has been working for the station for over 15 years, many of which she has co-anchored with Gary Shapiro (right)

'Kyle was glad she got assigned to it, because she loves animals,' Mr Shapiro said

A BANNED BREED

Argentine mastiffs, also known as the Argentine Dogo, are known as big-game hunters and historically have gone after wild boars and pumas. 
While they are now used as pets, they were bred from a rather violent group of dogs.  
Because of the dogs' violent nature, several areas have banned the breed, including Aurora, Colorado. 
Aurora is the neighbouring city to Denver, where the broadcast took place. 
The animal is also banned in New York City public housing, and laws in the UK allow police to take the dogs away from their owners and prosecute them.

Brendan Flynn echoed that sentiment, writing: 'Lord knows 9News will hear from all of us and alot more if Max is put down.'

Unless the dog has rabies - which it is not showing signs of - it will not be put down. 

Even if the vaccinations are current, the owners will definitely face two charges from Denver Animal Care and Control: a penalty for having the dog bite someone and a second penalty for having the dog off its leash at the time. 

'While we normally walk Max on-leash, we understand that by letting him off-leash in an open area away from anyone was still a mistake. We will never walk him off-leash in public areas after this,' the Robinsons said in their statement. 

Max was brought into the studio after the station's news chopper captured video footage of a firefighter rescuing Max from a freezing pond Monday after he fell through the ice and couldn't make it out.

'I know that she is a great journalist who loves happy stories - this was a happy story,' her co-anchor Gary Shapiro said in a note to fans. 

'Kyle was glad she got assigned to it, because she loves animals,' Mr Shapiro said.

Though she is out of the hospital, her recovery is just beginning. Ms Dyer, who is married and has children, is expected to take several weeks to return to work.

'She's doing well, and will make a recovery, and we're all thinking about her and her family,' said 9News vice president Patti Dennis. 

'Kyle- of all people!- is the biggest dog lover and even yesterday we were talking about how, as dog lovers, we think every dog belongs to us.

'Kyle will be back in a period of weeks- probably several but she will be back.'

Warning: Graphic content