One local pooch is a hero.

Freddie, a three-year-old German shepherd from Coldwater, was one of five dogs inducted into the Purina Animal Hall of Fame Monday in Toronto. His heroic efforts saved the life of owner Michael Hambling.

It was during a trip to the family’s Coldwater cottage in January 2007 that Hambling says his life almost came to an end but, thanks to the courageous efforts of the family pet, he survived to tell the tale.

Hambling’s cottage is located across a small body of water, which in the winter, means crossing the frozen water.

“We crossed Friday night, and everything was fine,” he tells Simcoe.com. It was the next day, on the way to visit friends, that he fell through the ice. Trying not to panic, Hambling remembered something he had seen on a television program, and tried desperately to get himself up onto the ice, but the ice kept breaking.

It was on his third attempt that things went from bad to worse as he slipped under the water and began to lose consciousness.

“I went under … I couldn’t stand up because the water was too deep, and I couldn’t swim to surface because my clothes and boots were too heavy from the water. I can remember being in the water and thinking I was finished, I can’t get out. The next thing I know, I can feel something pulling on my arm … I had forgotten I was still attached to Freddie by his leash, which was wrapped around my wrist.”

Prompted by encouraging shouts from his wife Debbie, who was stuck helpless on shore, Freddie tugged and tugged until he managed to pull Hambling out of the water and finally to safety on shore.

Once safe and dry, the family made sure Freddie knew just how much of a hero he was and how grateful they were for his courage.

“We rewarded him that night for sure,” says Hambling, who credits long games of tug-of-war for giving the dog the strength to pull him out of the chilly waters. “We went into Coldwater and bought him the biggest steak we could find. He ate well that night, and he’s been king of the hill ever since. He gets whatever he wants.”

Freddie’s rescue resulted in his induction into the Purina Hall of Fame.

“It was wonderful. Purina is a wonderful company to even have the hall of fame in the first place, but the way they treated the animals was just amazing. Everything was about the dogs.”

It’s been more than a year since Hambling crashed into the frigid waters just outside of his Coldwater cottage, and life has never been the same for either man or pooch.

“He is the hero of the family now. He saved his master and my family is quite happy about it. We pay attention to the dog more now than ever before. Freddie didn’t want to go out on the ice (that day). He had a sense something was wrong, so we pay attention to that more, and we treat life more preciously than we used to.”