Dog Tangled In River Refuses To Drop Her Stick During Rescue By Florida Marine Deputy

For most dogs, a rescue would be the most memorable part of the day. For this dog? It was all about the stick.

While playing fetch in Florida’s Weeki Wachee River, the determined pup jumped into the water after an enormous tree branch. But the game took a dangerous turn when she became tangled in a rope and couldn’t free herself. Fortunately, Hernando County Marine Deputy L. Shafer was patrolling nearby on his jet ski when he spotted the dog in distress.

After her owner called for help, the deputy carefully cut the rope with a knife and pulled the struggling pup to safety on his jet ski.

But even in the middle of the rescue, she refused to abandon her prize. The stubborn dog held tightly to the giant branch the entire time, refusing to let it float away.

When the deputy reached shore, the dog’s owner asked if he could toss the branch back into the water. He did—and, true to form, the dog immediately leaped off the jet ski to retrieve it once again.

This time, she made it safely back to shore with her beloved stick, proudly walking away beside her mom with the oversized branch still clamped firmly in her mouth.

As the deputy headed off, he couldn’t help but laugh: “That made my day, right there.”