By Alesha Capone
Dallas Harvey is being hailed a hero after rescuing a dog stranded in a Point Cook lake.
Mr Harvey said he saw a post about the dog on Facebook just before 5.30am on Sunday, September 23.
Point Cook woman Stefania Franciulli had posted in a resident’s group about the dog howling from an island in a Featherbrook lake.
In her post, Ms Franciulli asked for someone with a kayak to help retrieve the dog, who seemed too scared to swim to the lake’s shore.
The dog, a kelpie-cross named Pup Dog, had escaped from a Point Cook home three days earlier.
Mr Harvey said that after seeing the post, he walked to the lake before returning home to fetch his paddleboard, dog treats and a collar.
Mr Harvey, a dog owner himself, returned and launched himself on the water.
He said he remained on the paddleboard for about 40 minutes, attempting to coax Pup Dog – who showed no interest in the treats – aboard.
“I just had to get her trust,” he said. “Finally she put one paw on the board and jumped off, then around 10 minutes later I was able to get a collar on her.”
While navigating back to the shore, he held on to a nervous Pup Dog with one arm and paddled with his other. Once back on land, Pup Dog was taken to the Harvey family home. Mr Harvey dried her and tried to feed her, although she declined the meal, falling asleep on the couch instead.
Pup Dog’s owner was tracked down after a member of the Facebook resident’s group found a post from the owner about his missing pet.
Mr Harvey said Pup Dog’s owner made contact and came over to collect her, giving Mr Harvey a box of chocolates and thanks for his rescue efforts.
After news of Pup Dog’s rescue was posted within some Point Cook resident groups on Facebook, several people praised Mr Harvey’s actions, describing him as an “amazing person”, “Point Cookian of the Year” and “an absolute legend”.
Mr Harvey said he had been taken aback by all the attention.
“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “As a dog owner, you hope someone would do it for your dog.”
