Great Dane Rescued After a Month Spent on a Michigan Island
In Clare County, Michigan, a 2-year-old Great Dane named Zaria was stuck on a small lake island. According to local reports from CBS Detriot, Zaria slipped out of her collar, ran away, and swam across the lake canal to an island area of Cranberry Lake. Furthermore, she’s recovering at a local animal shelter while regaining her strength.
Zaria was reported missing on August 17th, 2022; a volunteer search team spent days driving around the town looking for the lost pup. After 11 days, Clare County Animal Control (CCAC) finally found her on a drone; however, she is highly skittish around strangers, so she dodged all rescue efforts. Alternatively, the rescue team reevaluated new creative tactics in coaxing Zaria to them.
(Zaria after being rescued 9/21/2022, Clare County Animal Control)
Using a food trap, the CCAC team gained her trust by leaving out food and water to guide her back. Zaria was famished when she was rescued after one month of being in the wild. She’s now recovering in the local shelter, fed several small meals for her body to readjust and regain her lost weight.
Here’s our list of tips for keeping Fido from running away
- Secure your yard and home: Always check the backyard gate when you let your pup outside. It’s easy for a family member, especially children, to forget to secure the latch or leave it open a crack.
- Purchase a GPS Tracker: Apple AirTags are an excellent investment if your pup tends to wander off; that way, you can track and bring them back home. Amazon has many cheaper options for doggy GPS trackers that latch directly onto their collars.
- Fido’s tags are up to date: Make sure to periodically update your pet’s tags if you move homes or get a new phone number. Having the correct information on their collar tags helps for a quicker rescue.
For information on dog safety tips, check out these related articles:
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