The Hillsborough river in Tampa, Florida was nearly flooded from recent rains when this adorable pup fell in the river and was trapped over night. He wasn’t alone however, as a manatee stayed by his side throughout the night to keep him calm and safe.
As a dog owner and a Floridian who’s got an unnatural obsession with manatees, this one is really tugging at my heartstrings. I cannot imagine my dog having to spend an entire night stuck in a river fearing for her life, but the thought of nature’s friendliest creature there to comfort her at least eases the nightmare.
Fun fact: manatees have no natural predators. Their only true threat are the props of boats. So the mere presence of this majestic sea cow was enough to ward off any potential bull sharks in the area.
A dog that fell into the rain-swollen Hillsborough River Friday night had to wait until morning for a rescue, but that doesn’t mean he was left all alone the whole time.
A manatee kept the critter company, according to the Tampa Police Department.
While it’s unclear exactly when the manatee showed up to provide the stuck pooch some company, it waited in the water below the dog until the rescue operation was set up.
Tampa police officers were flagged down Saturday morning by residents in the Seminole Heights neighborhood who told them they’d heard noises throughout the night. When they went to investigate in the morning light, they saw the pooch stranded and unable to climb above the seawall.
All the commotion in the neighborhood caught the attention of the dog’s owners, a police department spokeswoman said. The dog, named White Boy, was reunited with his family a little wet behind the ears, but none too worse for the wear.
Aaaand here’s the story + photos direct from the police department:
All’s well that ends well? I suppose. The thought of that pooch being scared for his life overnight in a river is still pretty damn unsettling…dat manatee tho.
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