Dog News

Dog Swims Half Mile after Getting Spooked on Halloween Night

by Katherine

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On Halloween night, an American bulldog named Charlee got lost in Willows Beach, British Columbia, Canada, when fireworks went off and the dog took off in a panic. It took the dog’s owner, Chris Rempel, and his friends 19 hours to find the terrified lost dog.

Rempel’s brother in law and a friend took Charlee to Willows Beach around 9 p.m. on October 31, 2014, for a late night walk. When fireworks started, the dog took off into the darkness and the dog walkers couldn’t find the spooked pet.

Chris Rempel and his dog Charlee.
Chris Rempel and his dog Charlee.

Family members joined the search and stayed out until 3 a.m. looking for the elusive dog, but after spending hours out in the cold, the search party was called off and resumed later that same morning.

The beach and the surrounding areas were plastered with Lost Dog flyers and a friend of Rempel’s took some flyers to Oak Bay Marina located more than a mile away from Willows Beach.

The Marina was buzzing with news of a distressed stray dog, stranded in Mary Todd Island. This island is located about a quarter of a mile from the Marina, and half a mile away from Willows Beach.

Rempel arrived at the Marina around 4 p.m. and an employee offered to transport him to the island on a boat.

“We went around the side of the island. I started calling for the dog and she emerged from the bushes,” said Rempel. “I was just floored. I couldn’t believe it.”

It is not known how Charlee got to the island. She could have jumped into the water from Willows Beach and swam the half mile, or she could have ran to the Marina, then swam the quarter of the mile, but either way Charlee was so scared and disoriented that she swam quite a distance, ending up stranded in Mary Todd island.

The spooked dog was not injured during her odyssey but she was thirsty and hungry. Once she was back home she ate three bowls of food and drank five bowls of water.

We are glad Charlee and Rempel are back together again, and the two of them will have scary story to tell next Halloween night.