Suamico Firefighters Pull Labrador Mitsy From Icy Green Bay Waters, Reunite Her With Owner

Mitsy, a 3-year-old Labrador, was stranded and unable to pull herself out of the frigid Bay of Green Bay on the morning of March 20 when the ice gave way beneath her at Sensiba Wildlife Refuge, roughly 100 feet from shore. The Suamico Fire Department responded to a reported dog in distress in the Sensiba Wildlife Refuge along the bay after the three-year-old Labrador fell through the ice that Friday morning.

The Suamico Fire Department deployed its Ice Water Rescue Team, utilizing specialized equipment and training to safely reach the dog. The Ice Water Rescue Team successfully rescued Mitsy from the icy water and brought her to shore.

Mitsy was then evaluated, determined to be in stable condition, and was safely returned to her owner. The department also credited interagency support in making the operation possible, thanking the Brown County Sheriff's Office and Brown County Public Safety Communications for helping coordinate the rescue.

The story caught traction well beyond Suamico. A photo of Mitsy wrapped in a blanket after being pulled from the water circulated widely on the Suamico Fire Department's Facebook post, drawing an outpouring from dog owners who recognized exactly what it looks like when a high-drive, water-loving dog gets into serious trouble on late-winter ice. The photo of Mitsy wrapped in a blanket after being pulled from the icy water is the kind of image that makes you instantly want to know she is okay.

Commenters on the post made clear how personally the rescue landed. "Thank you for saving the sweet baby!" one person wrote. Another reflected on the infrastructure behind the save: "Man, this restores my faith, goodness and kindness are alive and well! So much news lately about animals being treated so terribly and people rescuing them! Wonderful people, who still believe a soul is worth saving, no matter how many legs!!"

For anyone who takes an energetic retriever or Labrador out near frozen shorelines in late winter, Mitsy's story is a sharp reminder of how quickly a confident, fearless dog can outpace the ice. Firefighters found Mitsy about 100 feet from shore, struggling in the freezing water and unable to climb out — a distance that looks walkable until it isn't. The Suamico Fire Department's Ice Water Rescue Team trained for exactly this scenario, and on March 20, that preparation brought a 3-year-old dog home.