A shivering dog was minutes from death after being locked in a cage and thrown into a freezing lake.
The black and white puppy was spotted half-submerged in the crate in Kaufman Lake near Champaign in Illinois, US, on Saturday.
Bryant Fritz, a science teacher, dashed to save the dog.
"I am a big dog lover, I have a dog at home. ‘I just saw an animal in need, and I just figured that by the time that somebody else got her it would be too late," he said.
"It was pretty clear when I got the dog out that it had been there for several hours."
Mr Fritz, who was fishing in the lake at the time, added: "When I got her up to the shore, there was blood all over the place. She was missing a bunch of fur on the back side, and the bottom of her paws were missing skin.
"She probably weighed 15 to 20 pounds; she was definitely a puppy. She was shaking so bad.
"Her eyes were shut. She was so miserable. I took her to my truck and turned up the heat as high as I could."
The University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital has since been caring for the pooch and says she will be well enough to be rehomed soon.
She had hypothermia and wounds across its body.
Chris Beuoy, a spokesperson for the vets, said: "We weren’t sure if the dog would need additional care for her wounds.
"But she received more treatment for her wounds on Sunday."
