This weekend is about as close as we get to the dead of winter nowadays. Groundhog Day gets people counting the days until springtime. We’re in that mystical football-less time between the last playoff game and the Super Bowl. You have a solid excuse for not doing yard work because the leaves that should be raked up by now are frozen to the ground. It’s too cold to do much outdoor exercise other than a quick walk with the dog.

This is the time of the year when dogs fall through the ice. The ice is just thick enough at the shallow shorelines of the ponds to support the weight of your dog. But just a little farther out — over the deeper, warmer water — the ice is too thin. That, of course, is the direction that any loose dog will head.

So, there you are, letting your dog run free in the place that you’ve been coming to for months without any trouble. The days and nights have been cold enough so that you don’t have to worry about ticks. The cold has also caused a skim of ice to form on the pond that your dog was splashing in a couple of weeks ago. Your beloved critter joyously romps out onto this magical new playground. And promptly falls through, about 50 feet offshore. What now?

Dial 911 before you do anything else. Forget about feeling stupid for letting this happen. Forget about being a bother to the folks at the communication center or fire department. They have heard and seen every possible mistake that humans make and many times over. The folks at 911 have equipment that tells them exactly where you are standing when you make that cellphone call.

Now comes the hardest part for you. Waiting. If you really don’t want to be a bother to the rescuers who are now on their way to help you, don’t make the situation worse by becoming a victim yourself. Think about it. If the ice can’t hold a dog, it can’t hold you.

Perhaps you know from experience that the water is shallow where the dog fell through. Perhaps you are certain that you can bust a path in the ice and wade out to save Rover. Still dial 911 before you go. You aren’t thinking clearly in your panic so your plan to do the rescue yourself is probably a poor plan. Wait for help to arrive. It will seem like forever.

A dog can last a whole lot longer in the water than a human. If you fall in and become unconscious, now there’s no one to help the rescuers find your dog. Wait on the shore. The dedicated volunteers of the Island’s fire departments are equipped and trained to make the rescue. They would much rather rescue a dog than a dog and a person. Let them do their job. Your dog will eventually forgive you. The rescuers will thank you for staying safely on shore.

A decade ago, Andrew Kelly and I rescued a dog that had fallen through the ice at the south end of Katama Bay. That dog’s canine buddy had alerted a person on shore that his friend was in trouble. 911 was called and everybody sprang into action. The fire department headed out onto Norton Point. Realizing that the victim was a long way from shore, boat rescue was deemed the best course of action.

Andrew and I headed down from the Chappy Ferry in a heavy skiff, breaking ice the whole way. We aimed for the crowd on the beach and eventually came upon a shivering, very frightened but still very much alive medium-sized dog. It had been over an hour since we got the call and the dog was still alive.

The only person that got wet during the whole operation was Andrew when he opened his jacket to warm the dog against his chest. That dog was very, very cold. It licked our faces in thanks. Its tongue was cold but it made our checks feel nice and warm.