On the week of July 13, the Menlo Park Fire Protection District received a report about a dog that had entered the water and was swimming. According to a Facebook post from the fire department, they used a drone to locate the animal, which was spotted paddling alone in San Francisco Bay.

After the drone identified the dog’s location, the rescue team reached the swimming pet by boat. The dog was then handed over to the SPCA, who tracked down its owners. The pet had been missing since the Fourth of July, after being frightened by fireworks. The dog has since been reunited with its family.

“Thank you to everyone who helped reunite this furry friend with its family,” the fire district wrote. The post included several images of the rescue, such as the black dog wrapped in a firefighter’s jacket, the rescue team posing with the dog in front of the boat, the team onboard, and the dog in the water.

The East Palo Alto Police Department also shared a video of the rescue, showing the dog swimming surrounded by seagulls. When the rescue boat approaches, someone leans over to lift the dog from the water. Once the dog is aboard, another rescuer wraps it in a jacket. Back on land, the dog is seen shivering in a firefighter’s arms.

“Tiny dog escapes marsh, survives aerial assault by an organized gang of seagulls, and is rescued by the Menlo Park Fire Department. 12/10 action movie,” police wrote in their Facebook post.

A woman who identified herself as the dog’s owner expressed her gratitude in the comments on the fire department’s post. “I want to thank the entire rescue team from the bottom of my heart. These last 2 weeks were a lot of agony not knowing about my dog,” she said.

She mentioned visiting the SPCA in San Mateo and an animal shelter in Palo Alto while searching for her pet. “I was very, very depressed not knowing where she was and was even losing hope,” she continued. “My heart started beating so hard when I received the call from the SPCA team. I would never be able to thank you enough for her rescue and for bringing her back to her home. Forever grateful.”

Local news outlet InMenlo reported that the dog was swimming in San Francisco Bay, about half a mile from the shore at the time of rescue.

Source: People