MacRitchie gingerly steps through the ice and into the river, audibly gasping as he wades about 20-feet toward the dog, which was on the other side of the frozen tributary of the Winooski River.

Spotting a dog struggling to stay afloat in a icy Vermont river, Chris MacRitchie never hesitated. He jumped into the frigid waters and waded over to the dog, gently pulling it ashore, where his ...