Jack the Australian shepherd took his family on a wild ride that included a boat trip after he ran away from his nail-trimming appointment on Wednesday.
One-year-old Jack bolted around 10 a.m. down Oak Bay Avenue near Foul Bay Road to the shore at Turkey Head Point, where he decided to go for a swim, said his owner, Shoshannah Sutton, who followed him from land to sea and back to land again over five hours.
“He got spooked and bolted from there,” Sutton said.
Someone spotted Jack and called animal control, who joined Sutton to chase him down.
After he was seen on Mary Tod Island — also known as Jimmy Chicken Island — Sutton and animal control jumped in a boat offered by Oak Bay Marine Group to track down the dog.
“Out we went and, by the time we got there, he must have already jumped in the water and swam to Willows Beach, because that’s the next place he was spotted,” Sutton said.
From there, Jack was seen by a dog walker in Uplands Park, a place he has become familiar with on his daily walks, Sutton said. But the family usually drives to the park for a walk from their home a couple of kilometres away, so Sutton did not expect the call she got from her daughter around 3 p.m., telling her Jack had returned home.
“A hungry dog was at our back door,” she said. “So he came back all on his own.”
He was muddy, salty, hungry and thirsty when he showed up, Sutton said. They fed him to refuel after his big run, and Sutton said she doesn’t think she needs to lecture him on running away.
“Aussie shepherds are smarty pants. He was so excited to see us that I think he was pretty aware he probably doesn’t want to do that trip again,” she said.
“I don’t think we need to reprimand him. I think he knows.”
