When oil rig workers rescue a dog swimming 135 miles off the coast, most people did not question it. One of the biggest misconceptions about dogs is that they are natural swimmers. Well, they actually aren’t.
Whenever put in the water, it is only their innate survival instinct that kicks in. This instinct makes them do the dog paddle. This very basic stroke is enough to keep them from going under.
However, this doesn’t mean that they can do this easily or that they can stay afloat for a long time. Many, if not most, dogs have never been in a lake or have seen the ocean. A few select breeds have been developed to enjoy and to work in water.
However, most are much happier and safer on land. This makes me ask, just how on earth did oil rig workers rescue a dog swimming 135 miles off the coast?
How could such a bizarre thing have happened in the first place?
Boonrod might already have been well acquainted with the open ocean. After all, he was found swimming for his life 135 miles away from land. Oil rig workers saw a furry, bobbing figure in the water. He had to get there somehow. It is unlikely that he was just out for a romp in the ocean.
When the astonished men inspected the bobbing figure more closely, it turned out to be Boonrod. They were quite surprised to see a dog swimming this far out. The most probable theory is that he must have fallen off a small boat. Thankfully, he was lucky enough to find the oil rig.
Dog found swiimming near an oil rig in the ocean
What happened after the oil rig workers rescued the dog
The nearly drowned pup kept looking up at them as if to say “please help me, I’m so tired.” Vitisak Payalaw, and his crew, acted quickly. They immediately came up with a plan.
They could use a rope to bring the dog up to the platform. Once he was hauled up, he was fed and kept warm. The workers then named him Boonrod, which translates to “survivor” in English.
The rescued dog stayed with the oil rig workers over the weekend. He was then taken back to shore the following Monday. Before he was sent off, the crew put a marigold necklace on Boonrod. This is a very popular tradition in Thailand, used to signify good fortune.
Everyone can clearly see the difference in Boonrod’s attitude in these before and after being rescued pictures. He went from being dejected to being on top of the world. Boonrod just couldn’t stop smiling!
Will there be a happy ever after for the dog who survived this ocean trauma?
When the lucky-to-be-alive-dog reached shore, Watchdog Thailand took care of him. He was immediately taken to the vet. They wanted to be sure he was in good shape after his ordeal. Despite all that he had just been through, Boonrod got a clean bill of health.
The rescue group will keep Boonrod while they wait for his owners to claim him. If no rightful owner steps forward, Payalaw has volunteered to give him a loving and permanent home. While we hope there is a loving family eager to have him return home, we are happy to know that Payalaw will be there for him.
What kind of dog, besides a lucky one, is Boonrod?
After “Oil Rig Workers Rescue Dog Swimming 135 Miles Off The Coast” hit the newspapers and internet, people began to wonder just what breed of dog they had rescued. He just did not fit the description of the breeds people thought of as “water dogs”.
Boonrod is reported to be an Aspin. This is a shortened version of Asong Pinoy, which is translated to mean dog of the Philippines. Although Aspins are often used as police dogs in the Philippines, they are actually mongrels, the street dogs of that country.
Nevertheless, these are wonderful, loving dogs and are also found in many Filipino homes. They have no set breed standards. Because there is such a wide variety of breeds in their background, there is no one set “look” of an Aspin. Here is one example, courtesy of Google.
dog rescued by oil rig workers swimming 135 miles off the coast. This photo thanks to Wikipedia Original story courtesy of Credits: Associated Press
