Two dogs were in a Tempe canal with no way out. Steep concrete walls, moving water, and no grip.
What happened next is the part that stayed with me.
What the Video Shows
On Aug. 29, Tempe police responded to two dogs stuck in a canal and fighting to stay afloat. Officers threw a rope around one of them and carefully guided both animals toward a ladder along the canal wall.
No drama, no hesitation. Just calm, practiced work until both dogs were on dry land.
The Part Nobody Covers
Arizona’s canals aren’t like a pond or a river. They’re concrete-lined, steep-walled, and have ladders only at specific points.
A dog that goes in can swim, but it can’t climb out. The walls offer no grip, and the current keeps moving. This is why the officers didn’t just wait, they had to guide the dogs to the one place an exit was actually possible.
Rope and quick response saved two lives here, exactly the way Pasadena firefighters revived Milo, a Sheltie pulled unconscious from a burning home, where the right equipment and fast action made all the difference.
As The Animal Rescue Site reported on the Tempe canal rescue, Tempe police then teamed up with Lost Our Home Pet Rescue to scan both dogs for microchips. The chips matched. The family was found. Both dogs went home.
Why the Chip Mattered More Than You Think
Getting your dog microchipped is step one. Most people stop there.
A study of over 7,700 stray animals found that microchipped dogs were returned to their owners 52% of the time, compared to just 22% for dogs without chips. But only about 60% of microchipped pets are actually registered with updated contact information.
An unregistered chip shows a number on a scanner and nothing else. No name, no phone, no way home.
The Tempe dogs made it back because someone registered that chip and kept the contact current. That single step is what closed the loop.
Is your dog’s microchip actually registered with your current phone number? Most people chip their dog and never check again. Tell me in the comments.
Why This Matters
This story could have ended very differently, and for most lost dogs it does.
According to Shelter Animals Count’s 2025 annual data report, 638,000 dogs and cats were returned to their owners in 2025, a 3% drop from the year before. For stray dogs specifically, only 34% made it home. The other 66% didn’t.
Events that raise awareness help close that gap, like the Del Mar Dog Surf-a-Thon, one of the longest-running canine fundraisers in the country, which raised over $20,000 for shelter pets this year.
Two dogs in a Tempe canal beat those odds because of a rope and a registered microchip. Most lost dogs only get one of those two things.
Key Takeaways
- Tempe officers rescued two dogs from a canal on Aug. 29 by guiding them to a ladder with a rope.
- Lost Our Home Pet Rescue scanned the microchips and reunited them with their family.
- Microchipped dogs are returned home at more than twice the rate of unchipped dogs.
- A chip that isn’t registered can’t bring your dog home.
Two Dogs, One Rope, One Chip
Both dogs are safe. The rope got them out of the water. The chip got them back to their family.
Check your dog’s microchip registration today. If you’re not sure how, your vet can pull the chip number in seconds.
Share your experience in the comments, and follow Furry Found on X and our Facebook page for more stories like this.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Details are based on public reports and may change.
[…] 30 minutes twice a day beats one long exhausting walk. Movement keeps joints mobile and mental health sharp. And always keep them leashed near open water or traffic even trained dogs can end up in dangerous situations outdoors. […]
[…] responders show up for animals when it counts like when officers rescued two dogs from a Tempe canal with nowhere to go. Fostering is your version of that same […]
[…] emergencies move fast. When two dogs fell into a Tempe canal with no way to climb out, officers had minutes to act. Bear had the same […]