On April 25th, Amber, a five-year-old retriever mix, went missing after just one night with her new foster family in Bramshaw, U.K.. Originally rescued as a street puppy in Qatar, she spent 36 days traveling around 100 miles across Hampshire and Dorset, eventually reaching the coast near Poole. From there, the pup swam about a mile across Poole Harbour to Brownsea Island, where a local resident spotted her and started leaving food out for her.
Over the following days, despite dozens of sightings and food stations set up by volunteers, Amber avoided being captured. On her fourth day on the island, she attempted to swim back to the mainland but was struggling with the tide. A passing ferry crew noticed her and pulled her to safety with one crew member jumping into the water to help her onboard. Crew mate Ethan Grant says he initially mistook her for a seal before realizing she was a dog in distress.
Amber had lost a lot of weight but was otherwise healthy. Sam Collins and Kelly Parker of KS Angels Rescue, the charity that brought her from Qatar, describe her behavior as a survival response, noting that she hadn’t bonded with anyone before running away. The foster family and rescuers were relieved that she was returned safely, and the woman who fed her on Brownsea Island has already expressed interest in adopting her.
Source: THE GUARDIAN
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