Dog Saved From Drowning In Riverside Finds New Home

RIVERSIDE (AP/CBSLA.com) — An animal rescuer, a tire shop and a construction worker saved a Chihuahua from a flooded storm channel in Riverside.

Riverside County Animal Services says Cali Touch Motorsports reported the dog had fallen into a steep wash Feb. 27.

An arriving officer found the Chihuahua trapped on an island of debris.

Animal Services says the officer attempted a rescue with a cat carrier and a rope, but the plan startled the Chihuahua and she plunged into the fast-moving water.

KCAL9's Brittney Hopper talked to the men who risked their own safety to reach the Chihuahua.

Tire shop workers put a ladder in the water, and dog was able to get on before falling off. The crew grabbed a bigger ladder and a construction worker climbed down and used a rope to secure the exhausted pup.

"It looked like it was just ready to give up," one of the rescuers said. "We were struggling for a while to get him out."

The dog was treated for hypothermia and was just adopted by Alexandra Robles.

(© Copyright 2017 The Associated Press contributed to this report.)