Runaway Dog Trapped On An Island For Weeks Rescued And Found New Home Just In Time For Christmas

Dec 23, 2022

Having dogs around feels like having a best friend all the time. More than making their fur parent’s day with their heartwarming presence, they also offer a company like no other. Of course, they can be silly at times, chewing on almost anything they see, like cables or other stuff at home (especially for puppies). But of course, they aren’t aware any of these things are problems; that’s why they need to be trained at home. Plus, no one can deny the fact that such crazy moves are nothing compared to the kind of joy they bring to the house they live in – not to mention the kind of emotional support they give whenever their fur parents feel lonely or sad. So yes, they deserve to have a home – regardless of whether the dog is a stray or not.

But sometimes, no matter how hard fur parents try to protect dogs and offer them a safe place to live, there are simply things that are beyond anyone’s control – just like a dog who ran away from its owners and ended up on an island where she lived alone for weeks.

That’s right. A Great Dane named Zaria ran away from her owners in August 2022. But the two-year-old dog didn’t find a spot in the city where her fur parents could easily find her. Instead, she ended up on an island in the middle of Cranberry Lake in Clare County, Michigan.

When Bob Dodson from Clare County Animal Control found her, it was apparent that she had drastically lost weight. The traps set up by Moore’s Lost K9 Search & Recovery worked, capturing an exhausted Zaria.

The Clare County Animal Shelter then took care of her, allowing her to gain 20.9 pounds while there.

Having been away from her family for weeks, it became a struggle for Zaria to trust people again. Workers at the shelter realized she developed fears that were not unusual, considering she had survived alone in the middle of nowhere. But the shelter was successful in helping her regain her trust in others.

“While a part of us just wants to keep her here (and safe) we all know she needs a real home. She will be leaving Saturday to start her new life with a very experienced dog rehabilitator,” the shelter told WNEM.

But the shelter wanted to make sure Zaria would be safe once she moved to her “forever home.” So, they went looking for someone who had a 6-foot fence to adopt her. That way, she won’t be able to run away easily.

It didn’t take long for Zaria to find a new home as Beth Wellman, the shelter director at the Humane Society of Midland County, had a house that has a 6-foot fence perfect for her. She offered to take care of Zaria and foster her.

It seemed Zaria had an irresistible charm as the Humane Society of Midland County revealed that Wellman couldn’t let go of her. In fact, Wellman admitted that Zaria was the best dog she had fostered in her home. So, she decided to adopt her and eventually decided to change her name from Zaria to another equally lovely name, Zara.

Zara was the BISSELL Pet Foundation’s Empty the Shelters’ last dog up for adoption during its event in December 2022. Now, she finally has a place she can call home just in time for Christmas!

Are you happy that Zaria found a new home? Do you also have dogs at home? Let us know your thoughts and pass this on to your family and friends who are also dog lovers!