Warwick Valley Humane Society rescues another swan

Chester - In the Chinese calendar, this is, “The Year of the Dog.” But for Suzyn Barron, president of the Warwick Valley Humane Society, it may turn out to be the year of the swan. Shortly before the New Year, Barron and Laura Trezza, both animal control officers from the Warwick Valley Humane Society, were summoned to Greenwood Lake. A lakeside resident had reported that a swan was stuck to the thin ice. After borrowing a boat, chopping through the ice and rowing a good distance out on the lake, the officers were able to free the swan and take it to a veterinary hospital. Unfortunately, despite the heroic rescue attempt and the frozen fingers and toes suffered by Barron and Trezza, the swan, which had other serious problems, did not survive. On Feb. 9, the Warwick Valley Humane Society received another call about a swan who had hit the overhead wires at the Bellvale Community on Gibson Hill Road in Chester. The swan had apparently collided with the wires, dropping to the ground and possibly injuring its legs. That morning it was on the community’s pond in front of the residence. “When Becky and I arrived,” said Barron, “the swan was about 20 feet from shore. That was 10 feet too far for our 10-foot net.” Fortunately, the men in the community had an aluminum boat, which they carried to the edge of the pond. Barron climbed in and they pushed the boat across the ice, close enough for her to reach the swan with her net. Then the men, assisted by Hanlon, pulled the boat back to shore as Barron safely dragged the swan across the ice. The swan was then placed in a carrier so that it could be immediately transported to a veterinarian. “I would like to thank the gentlemen of the Bellvale Community for their help with this rescue,” said Barron. “They were as much a part of it as we were.” Perhaps anticipating more swan or duck rescues, the Warwick Valley Humane Society is now asking for a donation of a small, lightweight aluminum boat for its Wildlife Fund. “During both swan rescues, we were lucky to have had the help of generous people who had boats nearby,” said Barron. “We want to be able to help any animal in need. And having a boat that we can lift and transport to a location at any given time would be a big help. And we could also use the boat to assist other organizations when needed.” The Warwick Valley Humane Society, through its Wildlife Fund, rescues a variety of local birds and animals. All are given a fighting chance and most survive. To donate a lightweight rowboat or to make a small donation call 986- 2473.