Boy hailed 'puppy hero' after saving drowning dog

Nine-year-old Logan Lester with River, the 7-week-old German Shepherd cross he rescued from a river. Photo / Andrew Warner.

A nine-year-old Te Puke boy has been hailed a "puppy hero" after saving a 7-week-old dog from a river on his way to school.

Logan Dylan Lester was on his way to Te Puke Primary last Tuesday when he saw a tiny paw on a mossy root coming out from the river near Raymond Ave. He initially thought the female puppy was an eel, but after investigating he realised it was a tiny dog holding on to the side of the river.

"I saw another paw and then I saw it was a dog," Logan said. "It was cold and shivering and scared and needed someone to help her."

Nine-year-old Logan Lester with River, the 7-week-old German Shepherd cross he rescued from a river. Photo / Andrew Warner.

Logan said he went to help straight away. He held on to a tree root by the river so he didn't fall in and bent down to pluck the puppy out of the water.

"I picked up the dog, its legs were moving a tiny bit," Logan said.

Logan was horrified to think what could have happened to the small puppy if he had not saved her.

"She's lucky to be alive," Logan said. "She would have died."

Te Puke Primary accounts manager Monique Verwey was in the school office when Logan walked in with the puppy.

Ms Verwey said when she first saw the puppy it looked "like a drowned mess", and Logan was "wet as wet" from carrying it to school.

"I felt really sorry for it."

Logan said he was not sure how the puppy had ended up in the cold river.

Te Puke Primary principal Shane Cunliffe said the puppy was incredibly close to dying and had hypothermia from its time in the water.

The pup was taken to the Tauranga SPCA where she has made a full recovery and has been named River.

Logan said River's personality has drastically changed from when he met her on Tuesday. He said she had gone from being "not happy and in an extreme bad mood" to "such mischief". "She's just the cutest, I really do like River," the youngster said.

Tauranga SPCA manager Margaret Rawiri said Logan was a "puppy hero".

"A lot of children would have just gone straight past, he did all the right things," Ms Rawiri said.

She thought River was about 6 or 7 weeks old.

Mr Cunliffe said Logan would be receiving a special award from the Western Bay District Council at their school's Christmas in the Park next Friday to acknowledge his bravery.

Logan Lister with River the German Sheapard cross which he rescued from a river. Photo/Andrew Warner