Scared dog swims in bay for 20 ‘exhausting’ minutes — then kayakers come to her rescue
A scared pup swam in San Francisco Bay for 20 “exhausting” minutes — until people in kayaks came to rescue her, officials said.
Her daring swim made it possible for animal rescuers to finally capture the dog that had been “evading rescue efforts for a whole week,” the Alameda Police Department said on its social media accounts on Wednesday, Feb. 12.
“For several days, ADP’s Animal Control Officers, Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter (FAAS), and members of our community worked tirelessly to rescue this sweet pup,” the department said.
The Alameda Animal Shelter told the tale of the pup’s “dramatic rescue” that “captivated the island” in a blog post.
“Every time someone so much as glanced at her, she bolted,” said Emily Crum, the Alameda Animal Control Officer who finally caught her.
Crum and fellow animal control officer Alaina Onesko “had come heartbreakingly close to catching her multiple times, only to watch her slip away at the last second,” the blog post says.
The day of the rescue, the animal control officers were chasing her around in a neighborhood where she had been seen when “in a plot twist no one could foresee, the dog ran straight for the water at Seaplane Lagoon and started swimming toward San Francisco Bay,” the blog post says.
“For 20 agonizing minutes, we stood on the shore, watching her swim,” Crum said in the blog post. “The current was strong, and every second felt like an eternity. We could do nothing but wait and hope she kept her head above water.”
The department shared a video to Instagram that showed the dog paddling through choppy waters.
“Miraculously” the dog found her way onto a rock wall along the shore. Rescuers hopped into kayaks and floated near the rocks to keep her from jumping back into the water or haul her into the kayaks if needed, the shelter said.
Photos shared to Facebook showed the rescue, including the moment Crum collected her from the slippery rocks as the kayakers floated nearby.
“Community members, armed with kayaks, were there to assist our Animal Control officer, as she was safely brought to shore,” the department said in the posts.
Photos show Crum wrapping the pup in a towel and another person helping the officer carry her from the rocks. The video on Instagram then shows the pup chowing down on what looks like kibble and wet dog food.
“After a warm-up and some much-needed TLC, this little one enjoyed a delicious meal and received treatment for her raw paw pads and a few minor scrapes,” the department said.
Now the pup is “safe and sound after a long and exhausting week” thanks to the kayakers’ help, the department said.
Several people commented on the Facebook post praising the kayakers’ heroic efforts and saying the story made their day.
“A movie could be made about this poor pup’s adventure and how the community came together to rescue her,” someone said. “Truly remarkable.”
A photo shows the kayakers and others who helped in the rescue posing with the pup.
“What an incredible group of people!” someone said. “Such an uplifting story and so happy for that sweet pup!”
Now she’s up for adoption at the Alameda Animal Shelter. The shelter posted photos of her wrapped in towels after a much-needed bath.
“We have a very happy update to the story of the stray dog who was on the run for almost a week, evading capture of the most seasoned pro’s and caring residents,” the shelter said. “Meet Ariel — named because she took to the sea as she was trying to get away.”
The shelter said staff found the dog’s owner, who decided it would be best to surrender her, so the shelter is now focusing on her future.
“Ariel is in very good condition, considering what she’d been through for her week on the loose,” the shelter said, adding that “she took to bath time very well.”
“Most of the pads and nails on all four paws are worn down from running. We have her on pain medications for that,” the shelter said. “She is limping a bit because of that, as well. But she’s in good body condition (not underweight!).”
And at the shelter, “she seems to be enjoying resting and cuddling up to people,” Crum, who is now the dog’s “hero,” told shelter staff in the post. “She just wants to be loved. She has a very calm and sweet demeanor.”
Alameda is about an 85-mile drive southwest from Sacramento.
This story was originally published February 13, 2025 at 7:02 AM with the headline "Scared dog swims in bay for 20 ‘exhausting’ minutes — then kayakers come to her rescue."
