That dog paddled across the Hudson River to safety! After becoming separated from his new home in upper Manhattan, a puppy leaped into the Hudson River and made it all the way to New Jersey, where he was eventually reunited with his happy owners early on Tuesday morning.
Bear, a Leonberger Bernese mix, was six months old when his journey began on Saturday afternoon, when his owner, Ellen Wolpin, was walking him on the Upper West Side to get a more comfortable dog harness.
Wolpin’s son Zack, 20, who has developmental disabilities, uses a seizure service dog named Bear. When a bystander tried to pick Bear up, Zack became terrified and Bear raced away from home, Wolpin said.
Wolpin told The Post on Tuesday night that Bear got loose and ran along a bike path next to the water for about 30 blocks until 110th Street, at which point he hopped in and began paddling downstream.
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A second witness observed Bear get in the water and start swimming toward New Jersey, but then lost sight of him about three-quarters of the way across, according to Wolpin. The dog was still missing when she contacted 911 and patrol boats searched the river.
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When Wolpin first heard the news, he remarked, “We didn’t expect that he made it across; I was sick to my stomach and just kind of kept praying that it was a nightmare.” “On Sunday I was praying that somebody would call me, and by Monday I knew there was no way this dog would survive, but at 5 o’clock this morning I got a call from the Edgewater Police Department saying that they had him.”
On Tuesday, members of Edgewater Fire Company No. 1 shared on Facebook that they had discovered a puppy under a pier in Independence Harbor around dawn.
He completed what amounted to “nearly a full triathlon,” according to Wolpin. “Since he jogged for around 1.5 miles and swam for about 1 mile,” she said.
Reports first surfaced on the website I Love The Upper West Side that Bear had been reunited with his family at 6:30 a.m.
Wolpin claimed that when Zack finally found his puppy after asking repeatedly where Bear was, he embraced it lovingly.
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Before Bear ever got back, Wolpin went out and bought a harness, and then he went out and bought a couple more to be sure that one of them would keep Bear away. Bear was taken to the vet for an examination, where he was deemed healthy.
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Wolpin said, “We were really pleased,” reiterating the sentiments of her friends who have been telling her that this is nothing short of a Christmas miracle. This dog has been showered with treats and embraced by many people; we’re doing everything we can. The first thing we did, though, was to give him a bath.