Goose-Chasing Pup Plucked from Chicago River

A pup was plucked Tuesday morning from a nearby section of the Chicago River, where police said he accidentally plunged while chasing after a flock of geese.

The German Shorthaired Pointer, Riley, wound up in the water beneath the Damen Avenue bridge around 8:50 a.m., Chicago Police Marine Officer Edmund Echevarria said. Despite Tuesday's 80-degree weather, the water remained at about 50 degrees, he said.

"We got the call about a dog in the water near Damen ... and myself and my partner, (Marine Officer) Mark Walsh, jumped in the boat and headed up there," Echevarria said. "When we approached, we were waived down by the Chicago Fire Department to show us where the dog was at. He was continuing north, chasing geese."

Riley was surely following his instincts. German Shorthaired Pointers are known for their natural instincts to hunt.

"The breed is proficient with many different types of game and sport, including trailing, retrieving, and pointing pheasant, quail, grouse, waterfowl, raccoons, possum, and even deer," according to the American Kennel Club website, which features a photo of a Pointer in the water.

There's no telling how long Riley was swimming Tuesday, police said, but judging by his condition, it may have been quite a while.

"When we approached, he beelined toward our police boat ... he didn't want anything more to do with those geese," Echevarria said. "He was pretty cold. He was shaking. We used a wool blanket to warm him up."

Riley was soon reunited with his owner, who lives in the Lincoln Park complexes near the river, police said. Fire department personnel also helped with the rescue, police said.

Follow us on Facebook: Lincoln Park / Lake View / Lincoln Square / Bucktown-Wicker Park /North Center-Roscoe Village