Freezing dog rescued from Regina bus shelter

A lost puppy, who took refuge from the extreme cold in a bus shelter on Wednesday, has been reunited with his family — all thanks to a quick-thinking Regina transit driver and passenger.

When transportation service officer Darren Szabo received the call about the animal in distress that afternoon, he knew he had to help.

“Knowing how cold it was at the time and the weather warnings that were out — that frostbite can occur in mere minutes — having a puppy shivering and shaking in a bus shelter was a concern. I’m a dog lover,” he said.

Darren Szabo, Regina Transit transportation service officer, holds up the fleece jacket he wrapped around a freezing puppy in a bus shelter on Feb. 8, 2019. (Jessie Anton/980 CJME)

While the passenger called the Regina Humane Society (RHS) and there was someone on the  way, Szabo said he knew he could get there faster.

He then jumped in his vehicle and drove to the bus shelter on First Avenue North and Alexandra Street to see how he could help.

“I pulled up to the shelter and looked inside and sure enough, there was the dog, shivering and shaking on the ground,” he remembered.

Next, Szabo said he took off his fleece jacket and draped it over the dog for about 10 minutes until RHS staff arrived.

“I kind of threw it on him to begin with because he as a little bit growly at first. Then he kind of was like, OK, this person is here to help,” he explained. “He was just as scared as he was cold.”

On Thursday, the Humane Society confirms the 12-week-old German Shepherd-cross was reunited with his family.

Szabo said a veterinarian has since checked the dog over and the pup didn’t appear to suffer any signs of hypothermia or frost bite.