Clare Shaw and her family, including their puppy Ryder, got on a boat on the coast of Noank, Connecticut. As the Shaw family were enjoying the summer sun, the ocean became a bit uneasy, and their 8-month-old Shiba Inu broke from his safety harness. Soon after, the pup was nowhere to be seen.

It was clear that the pup had gone overboard. They checked all around the boat and the waters surrounding them. Still, no puppy was to be found.

The search went on for several hours – the family began tracking any potential sign of Ryder. They even went as far to contact the coast guard, to see if anyone else on the shore had come across the pup.

As more time passed, their fear that Ryder wouldn’t be able to fight the ocean’s current grew.

”After turning around and back tracking for hours, having the coast guard involved, and everyone on shore looking we weren’t able to find our puppy who we thought didn’t know how to swim,” said Shaw to FOX 61. “My family came home and we felt defeated, we packed up his things and lit a candle in his cage and assumed our boy lost his life drowning.”

Although the candle was lit in his cage, Shaw still had a glimmer of hope. She took to social media to see if her pup had been found by anyone else. The image of the dog was shared several times by friends and family to spread the word.

A veterinarian saw the image on Facebook and knew he had to contact the family.

Photos by Clare Shaw

“Almost 100 shares later, an equine vet saw my post and a post in a Groton lost and found pet group,” said Shaw.

Photos by Clare Shaw

Phil Bigelow, after pulling the Ryder out of the sound, had posted a photo of a lost dog. The vet saw both and let Shaw know that the pup was found.

Shiba Inu’s are notorious for being stubborn, and it shows as this tough pup didn’t give up, even through the ocean’s unforgiving currents!

They arranged a meeting, and late Sunday night, they picked the pup up.

Photos by Clare Shaw

“We are so incredibly thankful!”, said Shaw.

So heartwarming!

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Continue Reading