Shared Photos and Stories

Above Photo by David Lawes

Every family on the lake has those legendary stories about the time their great uncle once reeled in a 20lbs large mouth bass or how every summer their mother perfects her strawberry punch recipe – well, here is the place to share these stories and photos with the Eagle Lake community!

Winter 2017 – Solo’s Journey

Winters aren’t always kind and January 4th 2017 was no exception. It was a cold, snowy and blustery night and as we were driving we came upon a little dog running down the middle of Eagle Lake Road covered in snow from head to tail!! After unsuccessfully trying to coax her into our car we lost sight of her as she ventured down a skidoo trail. We prayed that she would find her way home but two days later we saw her again. This time it was during the day so we were able to get a really good look at her and we quickly knew that she was in trouble. She was so terribly, terribly thin and her coat was completely covered in icicles. It was heartbreaking!!! Although we could feed her, she was just so skittish that we couldn’t get close enough to rescue her.

Social media quickly became our best friend. We posted on lost dog sites throughout Ontario but sadly no one seemed to be missing her. We posted what we knew about this little dog on Eagle Lake South River Cottagers and that’s when something truly wonderful started to happen. We connected with people that also cared about this sweet little dog. As word of her story grew the kindness of others grew and just like that we were not alone trying to help this little dog. Offers of help came to us daily.

Cottages were offered for shelter, food was left out, garage doors kept open. We started to hear of people carrying dog treats in their cars just in case they saw her. People went searching by car and by foot. We received information of sightings of her as far back as November. Volunteers from Southern Ontario with cottages in our area came up for endless days to try and rescue this beautiful little dog.

We received real time updates of her whereabouts and because she was using the frozen lake as her Hwy…she travelled from one end of the lake to the other in no time. It wasn’t unusual to receive a message of a sighting of her on Morris Lane at 9:00 am and another message at 10:00 with a sighting on Merripark we started to realize though that she almost always gravitated to East Bay. With guidance from a professional rescue group we set up a temporary base at a cottage on East Bay Rd. A webcam, a live dog trap, a cozy dog house and yummy food was placed there. Every single day she showed up to enjoy some warm food and every single day she was getting physically stronger and stronger. Unfortunately she still wouldn’t let us get too close and she definitely wouldn’t get close to the live trap! This wasn’t going to be easy and we slowly realized this rescue was going to be a marathon and not a sprint. We needed to somehow gain her trust.

Around this time we received a call from a kind man that lived close by. He saw this little dog on his property. He started to leave food and a soft bed out for her. She started to spend more and more time on his property. He walked his own dog several times a day and all of a sudden this sweet little dog started to join them on their walks. Several times a day the three of them walked together and once everyday this wonderful man walked with the little lost dog alone hoping to strengthen the bond between them. In honouring her lifestyle he decided to name her Solo. She finally had a name. Solo spent most days resting on the dog bed he had placed outside for her and everyday he inched it closer and closer to his home. He never tried to grab her, he never tried to catch her but with love, patience and kindness he was slowly but surely gaining the trust of this sweet little dog.

On Feb 11th our group received the call that we had all been desperately waiting for. Early that morning, as if to say she finally had enough, Solo laid down at the feet of this kind man and he simply reached down and carried her inside to safety. He had finally gained her trust. To say that we were all overjoyed would be an understatement. Upon Solo’s visit to a veterinarian she was given a clean bill of health with the exception of an old nasty scar around her neck thought to be perhaps from a snare. The Dr. thought her to be about 3-4 years old. She wasn’t microchipped.

Solo’s determination and will to survive continues to inspire us to this day. Somehow she managed to find shelter on some of the coldest nights imaginable. She was able to keep herself safe from predators such a wolves and to not be struck by a car while travelling the roads. Solo somehow was able to keep herself nourished on her own and then eventually she was able to accept the help from others of food.

We don’t think that there was ever a question that the wonderful man that finally gained Solo’s trust would adopt her into his family. Maybe it’s safe to say that Solo adopted him. We could have never ever wished for a better home for this beautiful little dog. Our gratitude toward this kind and wonderful man is endless. Solo is now warm and cozy. Her tummy is never empty and perhaps most importantly she is loved. She is a just a beautiful, sweet, and gentle little dog. She is happy!!!

It took a large group of caring people to help with the rescue of Sweet Solo and we thank each and every one of you from the bottom of our hearts. New friendships have been made along the way and we feel so honoured and proud to be apart of such a wonderful and caring community.

If you are lucky enough to live or vacation here…or just nearby…. you are indeed lucky enough. We think Solo couldn’t agree with us more!!! Shared by Jill Bray

Summer 2016 – East Bay

“After seeing a sunfish swimming in the water with a visible chunk missing from its head, it was a sign there was a hungry pike in the area. Heading over to deepest water in the immediate area, I cast my rod a few times. A few nibbles and a bit of a fight later and I reeled in a good sized pike. After a quick photo op, I released the fish back into the lake for future cottagers to enjoy sustainable fishing in the lake.”