A runaway dog has been reconnected with her owner after being on an island in the Susquehanna River for weeks.
The Hanover Township Fire Department in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, successfully carried out the rescue on Oct. 8. The dog was on Richards Island, which runs under the Carey Avenue Bridge, spanning the Susquehanna River between Larksville and Plymouth, not far from Wilkes-Barre. The low, sandy island divides the river into two channels in that area.
It’s believed that the dog had been on the island since Sept. 18, when she was seen leaping off the side of the Carey Ave. Bridge to the island below. She was spooked and ran off after Good Samaritans tried to take her in.
The fire department used a boat to rescue the dog from the island, where she was hiding in some underbrush. It’s unknown what she survived on during her weeks away from home.
Hanover Township Fire Department member Sean P. Reilly said in a Facebook comment, “She was such a sweetheart once we got her in the boat. Great job by all involved…. A true team effort.”
The dog was taken to the Luzerne County SPCA for care and from there, her owner was identified.
-Meg Walburn Viviano
