Fat border collie Jiffy survives freezing to sidewalk overnight

Fat border collie Jiffy survives freezing to sidewalk overnight

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Monday, December 8th 2008, 9:46 AM
Klein/AP

Jiffy, who was left outside overnight and consequently froze to the sidewalk, was described as a "morbidly obese" dog.

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. - A dog weighing more than 120 pounds survived being frozen to a sidewalk overnight, probably because he was insulated by layers of fat, authorities said.

The "morbidly obese" dog, an aging border collie mix named Jiffy, froze to the sidewalk when he was left out overnight Wednesday, the Sheboygan County Humane Society said. Few dogs could survive the single-digit temperatures, and it was probably the fat that made the difference, shelter manager Carey Payne said.

Jiffy's 59-year-old owner was arrested Thursday morning on suspicion of animal neglect, Sheboygan Police Lt. Tim Eirich said. She told police she tried to get the dog inside but couldn't, and instead checked on him every few hours.

The dog is 11 or 12 years old, Eirich said. Shelter workers poured warm water over Jiffy's back end to unstick him from the sidewalk, Payne said, adding it was too soon to say whether he suffered any long-term effects.