Even animals may need a helpful hand from time to time. This was indeed the
situation with Cassius, the Rottweiler owned by Darren Thomas, who was in a
bit of a predicament.
Thomas posted a video of the event that happened at his Cape Town, South
Africa, house on his Instagram page on February 21, 2022. Cassius was first
seen lazily lounging by the family pool. He stumbled and fell into the river
as he turned to go.
Thomas said that he was shaving when he heard Cassius calling for
assistance while he was alone in the house.
Thomas remarked, "I was the only one home and he fell in the pool."
The video then showed Thomas at the pool, trying in vain to get the about
110-pound dog out.
"He was getting tired from standing there, so I had to come up with another
plan because I couldn't just pull him out because he is too heavy and I
don't have enough leverage in my chair because I'll just go into the pool
myself," he said.
He continued, saying, "I have two Rotties, and they are famous for
swimming—well, not mine. No matter what we try, he cannot or will not
swim."
Relentlessly, Thomas grasped his "Big Bear's" paw and cautiously
accompanied him to the opposite side of the pool, where a stairway would
allow him to exit.
Thomas was relieved when Cassius finally made it to the other side of the
pool and scrambled out after 4 and a half agonizing minutes.
"I discovered he was in there for almost twenty-five minutes before I found
him when I looked at the video afterwards. His fatigue was due to this. He
told MailOnline, "I just thank God he was big enough to reach the
side."
In addition to being an amazing dog father, Thomas's life narrative is
motivational.
Seven guys attacked Thomas during a home robbery, leaving him with serious
injuries. He had a T3 paraplegia following the altercation as a result of
bone fragments from his spine being driven into his spinal cord.
My weight was around 100 kg, or around 220 pounds, and I was in good
physical condition. One person used a screwdriver to stab me in the head.
then after that, I think the other man shot me in the chest, point blank.It
went one millimeter above my heart," Thomas said on Jesster Radio.
Thomas is thankful that he is still here to care for his family, including
Cassius, the five-year-old non-swimmer, despite the horrible
experience.
He added, "I have been giving talks to individuals and corporations about
my story and inspiring people that, despite their circumstances, they still
have a lot to live for and that they can overcome hardship to become better
people on the other side."
"Even now, there are days when I don't feel like getting out of bed and
facing the world, but I have to get out of bed and face the day for my wife
and kids to show them that they can overcome anything they set their minds
to," he continued.
"I want to use my second chance at life to improve the lives of others.
I've been given one."
Thomas has been amused by the amount of attention Cassius has been getting
in the meanwhile. "I never would have imagined that a video of me saving my
dog, who will never learn to swim, would become so popular... and to top it
all off, I was wearing only my underwear and socks."
Thomas talked candidly about his amazing survival tale in an interview with
East Coast Radio. He clarified that his fiancée at the time had given up her
legal career to be at his side when he became a T3 paraplegic. "My faith in
God, my girlfriend, and my family got me through some really tough times,"
he remarked.
Thomas "was a real adrenaline junkie and rode superbikes and Jetskis"
before the momentous event that changed his life. For him, it was a whole
transformation. He disclosed:
"It was a very difficult transition, but I had to start living again once I
got through the really tough times."
After getting married, he and his then-girlfriend produced two "miracle
children." Following their relocation to Cape Town, he has been inspiring
others by sharing his experience and giving presentations. Thomas continued,
saying he's a "family man" who enjoys being with his children. That also
applies to his pets, thus it seems sense that Thomas went over and above to
support the unfortunate Cassius on that terrible day.
Cassius may not be a big fan of swimming, but the affectionate Rottweiler
is skilled in other sports. Cassius was shown performing "parkour" in a
video that Thomas posted to Instagram, with the big dog leaping nearly as
high as the family's tall fence. Adding a caption, he said:
"Cassius prefers to observe passersby; simply standing at the entrance is
insufficient for him. To ensure they pass all the way by, he must patrol the
whole outside of the home. People outside mistakenly believe he is coming
over when he gets so high. Big Baby Boy here.
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animals