Dog on the lam rescued from Charlottetown harbour
Lyra was missing for 5 days before being found swimming in the Charlottetown harbour
A dog that had been missing for five days found herself in some deep waters in the Charlottetown harbour Thursday night before being rescued.
Susan Peters was taking seven-year-old Lyra, a ginger-coloured lab cross, to the local dog park Sunday morning when she let the dog off the leash and Lyra took off.
"She started running with the dogs but then realized I wasn't there because I was behind the crowd," said Peters. "She went right, and right out of the park."
Peters said that's when panic set in.
Lyra belongs to Peters's son who lives in Halifax but is currently on a trip to California and had asked Peters to dog sit.
"It was like, 'Oh my god, I've been entrusted to look after this dog and she's gone,'" she said.
Found in the harbour
A friend from the dog park helped Peters put up a post on the PEI Lost Dog Network Facebook group and a search began.
Peters said Lyra was spotted several times throughout the week but eluded capture until Thursday night that someone alerted her the dog was seen near the Charlottetown harbour that evening.
"We were out looking for him since Sunday," said Jennifer Sirois-Curtis, whose husband is a member of the Facebook group.
Looked like a seal
The couple was out sailing with some friends that evening.
"We knew the dog was in that area but had no idea the dog was in the water at all," she said.
Linda Roy, who was also on the boat, said they initially thought they had spotted some seals swimming in the water.
"I was watching it and watching it and it was like 'seals go under' and then the seal wasn't going under and then I actually think I was the one that yelled 'Oh my god, it's the dog!'" said Roy.
Water rescue
The group managed to sail up to the soaking canine and one of the sailors swam out to pull her aboard.
"The dog was just so happy to be rescued," said Roy. "She was tired."
The group was able to feed Lyra a few snacks while Peters was contacted on Facebook and eventually reunited with Lyra.
"She was just glad to get home, and she was exhausted," said Peters.
Peters took Lyra to vet for a check up but said the only damage from her time on the lam was a few cuts on her paws.
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