A one-year-old Australian shepherd named Nanuq was traveling with his family in March of this year when he got lost. Heartbroken by the dog’s disappearance, the family returned home without him after searches yielded no results.
What they did not expect is that two weeks after Nanuq disappeared, a stranger would post a picture of him on Facebook looking for his owners.
The most impressive thing is that the Australian shepherd was not in Savoogna, Alaska — the town where the trip took place — but on Prince of Wales Island, 241 km from the site of the disappearance.
It is believed that the dog traveled this route while the sea was frozen.
When he arrived on the island, no local residents recognized him. That prompted a stranger to make a Facebook post.
Mandy Iworrigan, the dog’s guardian, was notified of Nanuq’s photo and did not think twice before arranging a plane ticket so that the animal could return home.
Who was most shaken by the dog’s absence was her six-year-old daughter.
«I have no idea why he ended up in Wales. I’m sure he ate seal scraps or caught a seal. Probably birds too. He eats our native foods. He’s smart,» the owner said.
Mandy filmed her daughter’s reunion with her dog. The video is 12 minutes long and very emotional, the child couldn’t wait to get her pet back home safely.
Although he survived away from his family for two weeks and received help to return home, the animal did not come back 100% unharmed. According to the owner, he landed at the airport with a bite on his paw.
They can’t say for sure what animal might have bitten him. But there is a good chance that it was a polar bear, as the wound was huge.
After paying for the transport of the dog, the family’s resources had become limited and they could not take him to a vet to examine the bite.
The vet treatment cost about $750. But the NGO Paws of Nome heard about the whole story and offered help to the family.
Nanuq is already receiving all the necessary medicines so that his paw gets better soon.
In the last videos posted on his guardian’s Facebook page he still appears limping on one of his hind legs, but in a few days he will be brand new and ready for new adventures and most importantly, without getting lost.
