A LaSalle man who saved the life of a dog on the Detroit River is now giving him a forever home.
Jude Mead of J&J Marine Ltd. launched an airboat in frigid temperatures to rescue a dog that managed to dodge hypothermia, coyotes and eagles for more than four days last in late February.
Mead pulled the dog from the ice near Mud Island and delivered him to members of The Friends of the River Rouge Animal Shelter waiting on the U.S. side of the river.
According to the shelter's Facebook page, that dog is now known as Miracle, "because it absolutely is a miracle he's alive."
Miracle was delivered to Mead at the Windsor-Detroit border Friday.
Miracle is handed over to LaSalle, Ont.'s Jude Mead (right) at the Windsor-Detroit border on Friday March 26, 2021 (Photo via Facebook/Friends of the River Rouge Animal Shelter)
The shelter says adoption requests poured in after the story went viral, but Miracle belongs with Mead.
According to the statement, "the dog who defied all the odds will now live happily ever after with the man who saved his life. Miracle could not ask for a better or more ideal family to love him,"
The shelter says Miracle's matted fur may have saved him, insulating him from the elements.
He was treated for pancreatitis and severe dehydration, but now looks healthy and happy again.