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A California dog named Prieta was rescued from San Francisco Bay after first responders found her swimming half a mile offshore, being swarmed by a group of seagulls. The missing dog became lost on the Fourth of July when fireworks spooked her, but there had been no sighting of her until someone saw her enter the water near Menlo Park on July 17.
The Menlo Park Fire Protection District sprang into action after the 911 call came through, locating the lost dog with a drone before reaching her via boat. When the drone located her, she was surrounded by swooping seagulls, but she was eventually returned to her mom with only minor injuries. News outlets like ABC 7 Bay Area are sharing footage of the dramatic rescue, which looks more like something out of an action movie than just another rescue.
It's a miracle that this little dog kept swimming long enough for first responders to reach her. She was about half a mile offshore when officials finally scooped her from the water, and she had sustained an open wound on her cheek from the swarming seagulls. Fortunately, she seems to be otherwise healthy, and she can get back to living the pampered life she's always been meant to live.
Related: Lost Dog Finally Reunites With Mom After 21 Days And There Isn't a Dry Eye on the Internet
"I want to thank the entire rescue team from the bottom of my heart," the dog's mom, Mary Juarez, commented on the Menlo Park Fire Protection District's Facebook post. These last 2 weeks were a lot of agony not knowing about my dog. I had gone twice to the SPCA in San Mateo and even went to the Palo Alto animal shelter hoping to find her somewhere. I was very, very depressed not knowing where she was and was even losing hope of seeing her, due to how many days had passed."
Viewers' hearts are going out to the found dog, like @alexisl.b, who said, "She deserves the biggest nap and a week full of pup cups." You can say that again! Between her survival skills, her strong swimming, and her resilient spirit, she couldn't be any more of a good girl if she tried.
How Fireworks Lead to Missing Dogs
As relieving and heart-wrenching as this news story is, it's also opened debate about the use of fireworks in neighborhoods and cities. Even though the loud, explosive lights are a traditional part of many holidays, they come with major risks, especially for our animal friends.
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"This is how so many people lose beloved pets," @rejectsuperstar agreed on @nbc7bayarea's TikTok post, "people setting off (often illegal) fireworks that make dogs bolt."
Accidents like this can happen to even the most careful and attentive pet parents, and it takes only a few seconds for a scared dog to become disoriented and lost. Luckily, most dogs who run off during fireworks don't have such a dramatic ordeal, but this story is a sobering reminder that something that's innocent and fun for us can be terrifying and catastrophic for animals.
