Canine Castaways: Heroic Tails of Survival

When three teenage boys were rescued after being stranded on a tiny fishing boat out at sea for over 50 days, surviving on a coconut, some fish and a seabird, the world celebrated it as a miracle, and it was. People aren't the only ones who have the terrible misfortune of becoming lost at sea, though. It happens to dogs more often than we care to believe. Whether they were accidentally thrown overboard, mistakenly jumped in on their own or were otherwise left behind, there have been countless occasions when man's best friend have become canine castaways. But not all have been tragedies. Some stories of doggie disaster have turned out to be triumphant tails of survival.

Baltic the Wonder Dog

Traveling on an ice floe is something for ancient Inuits or polar bears, not dogs. But somehow a dog got stuck on a floating chunk of ice in a Poland river and traveled for three days in sub zero temperatures 60 miles downstream and then another 15 out into the open Baltic Sea. Luckily a Polish research ship spotted the mutt and was able to rescue him. Right away the people onboard enlisted him as a crewmember, deciding to keep him with them as their "furry and friendly" mascot.

Buddy's Island

One day at the dog beach, a New Jersey couple was happily frolicking along, walking their dog, Buddy. But pleasure turns to panic when their pet suddenly dashes off and disappears. After an exhaustive search, the beloved animal is feared lost forever. 98 days later the dog was back home after being rescued from unihabited Gull Island in New Jersey's Manasquan Inlet. Buddy was nothing but skin and bones by the time a local man was able to get ahold of him, dropping from 35 to just 19 pounds. But he was alive and well, and his owners were "simply ecstatic to be reunited with their miracle dog."

Sophie, Overboard

While traveling by boat with her family in rough waters off the coast of Queensland, Australia, Sophie went over the side. Though her family tried to find her, she disappeared in the unforgiving sea. Convinced she had drowned, the heartbroken family had to continue on their journey. But the resiliant pup didn't perish, but instead swam five miles to the small, mostly uninhabited St. Bees Island where she survived four months by teaching herself how to hunt wild goats. Now, back home thanks to a rescue by some local rangers and after a tearful reunion, Sophie's family is amazed that a pampered house dog could fend for herself so well in the wild.

A Dog's Life Is For The Birds

It was bad enough that Jerry and Darla Merrow were shipwrecked on a desolate island in the Pacific about 1,000 miles south of Hawaii. But when it came time for a rescue, the cargo ship that picked them up refused to take their dog, Snickers and parrot, Gulliver. Imagine the sadness of having to leave your pets behind, but that's exactly what they had to do. Miraculously, the two companions survived four months together until some Norwegian Cruise Line workers saved them (and none too soon as the island nation of Kiribati considered them invasive species and were going to euthanize the animals). The pair became instant celebrities as Hawaiian Airlines volunteered to fly Snickers to Los Angeles for free. Gulliver's rescue, was a little tricky as he was considered an exotic animal and had to be moved to Christmas Island, which is near Fanning, and eventually transported to L.A., one of only two ports in the U.S. that allow entry of exotic birds.

sources: foxnews.com, abcnews.go.com, allheadlinenews.com

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