Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Boater Saves Drowning Dog

Tigger was apparently thrown from Diane and Richard Beckman's boat on their way from Key Largo to Marathon, Fla. They said once they realized Tigger was missing from their boat, they searched for him for more than two hours. "We went back and forth, back and forth," Diane told the paper. "Finally we just gave up, because we thought he couldn't have survived in the water for that long. I was just heartbroken. "

Another boater found Tigger and dropped him off at a local pet shelter. Because he had name tags on his collar, the shelter was able to contact the owners.

Diane was elated when she got home and listened to her messages. She went quickly to pick up Tigger. "He was so terrified. As soon as he realized it was me, he jumped in my arms and wouldn't let go," Diane told the paper. "Please tell dog owners not to take their dog out on a boat without a life jacket," Diane said. "Mine had a happy ending, but most don't."

The dog was found so far out that land wasn't even visible.

You can bet this isn't the first time something like this has happened. If you have a dog and a boat, you MUST teach the dog to not get off the boat without permission, have a supervision plan, and make sure the dog can't get off the boat when left unsupervised. And, yes, I think a life jacket is a good idea.

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