A dog which chased a duck onto a pond in Angus had to be rescued by firefighters after falling through the ice on Saturday morning.
The incident happened just after 10am at Keptie Pond in Arbroath.
Firefighters in special gear broke through the ice using axes and waded out for around 20ft to reach the spaniel.
The dog tried to scramble to safety but its hind legs and three-quarters of its body were in the water before being pulled out by the fire crew.
Fire Scotland station manager Fraser Scott said the incident was a reminder of the dangers of ice.
He said: “When the crew initially arrived they had a distressed gentleman who was concerned about his dog which had chased a duck across the pond and then fallen through ice.
“Because the crews had the local knowledge and they knew the depth of the water, it was decided that they would put on their wet weather gear and lifejackets and carry out a rescue.
“The crew went out with large axes to break the ice and waded about through the water to get to the animal.
“The dog had been yelping and in a distressed state. It was trying to scramble out but it had no chance because it kept slipping back. As soon as we reached it, the dog calmed down.
“The crew picked the spaniel up and brought it to shore, wrapped it in a blanked and handed it over to its owner.”
Water rescue crews from Dundee had been summoned to the incident before being stood down by the Arbroath crew.
Mr Scott added that the incident could have been far more serious and advised people to keep children and animals away from frozen ponds.
He added: “This is the first week we’ve had where water starts to freeze over and we’ve already had an incident.
“It’s important to reiterate the point that ice is not a playground. Dogs should be kept on a leash and certainly children shouldn’t be allowed to go onto the ice.
“In this case there was a potential that the dog could have fallen in completely and of course with freezing cold water hypothermia can set in which can have serious implications.”