A dog is lucky things turned out in his favor because it could have easily gone another way.
On December 29, a local Santa Cruz, California, news station captured a video of a dog who is really lucky to be alive after miraculously escaping being swept away during high surf. Here’s what you need to know.
@ksbw_8 DOG NEARLY SWEPT AWAY | A dog made a miraculous escape against high surf in Santa Cruz on Thursday. After being nearly washed out to sea, the dog was then thrown back onto the road by the surf.
According to the National Weather Service, there were some alerts along the Santa Cruz coastline over the past few days due to high surf flooding, and one dog is lucky to still be alive.
Related: 11 Insanely Cute Photos of Puppies Swimming Under Water
Footage Captures Little Dog Narrowly Escaping High Surf Flooding in Santa Cruz
“The ocean is NOT your friend today!” the National Weather Service in the Bay Area warned residents and visitors on December 28. Unfortunately, not everyone heeded the warning, but thankfully, things didn’t turn out as poorly as they could have.
According to KSBW Action News 8, a video of a dog battling the surf as it was nearly swept out to sea by incredibly big waves was making the rounds on social media.
In one TikTok video the local news station posted on December 29, we see a small dog on the beach as waves crash in. In one of the wave crashes, the water swept up the little dog and pushed him out into the water.
The small pup tried to fight his way back to shore, but the large waves meant he was struggling for some time. Although the video is short, you can see the dog struggle to fight against the waves and make his way back to shore. He even disappeared at one point under the water, which caused humans watching from afar to yell louder for someone to help.
Miraculously, he could escape to safety after being “thrown back onto the road by the surf,” the news station reports.
In the video’s comment section, people were relieved that the pup was okay in the end.
“OMFG, this infuriates me,” one viewer wrote. “So glad that baby is OK.”
“My heart literally stopped,” someone else shared.
“Do not take [dogs] near the ocean when it’s like this,” someone else added.
This dog got everyone stressed,” another person wrote. “And he’s just like, ‘I just went for dip, ‘ jotting along like nothing happened.”
How to Keep Your Dog Safe At the Beach
According to the American Kennel Club, knowing all the safety advice and tips is important before taking your dog to the beach.
“To ensure a safe and enjoyable beach day, there are certain behaviors your dog should know. First, your dog should have a reliable recall,” the experts suggest.
“’Leave it’ is another important cue for your dog to understand,” they add. “Leave it means your dog can’t eat something which could be garbage on the beach, a dead fish at the water’s edge, or food in somebody else’s picnic basket.”
And of course, other rules include making sure you watch for signs of heatstroke, apply sunscreen to their ears and nose, provide lots of fresh water, prevent your dog from eating sand, and haf them fitted for a life jacket.
Scholl Animal Hospital warns that dog parents should also be aware of public signs at the beach with warnings for riptides or rip currents.
“Most public beaches post warning signs if rip currents are known along coastlines. Typically occurring in low spots such as sandbars or near structures such as piers or jetties, rip currents are powerful currents that run perpendicular to the beach and out into the lake,” the experts explain.
Adding: “Do not allow your pet to swim within 170 feet (50m) of a pier or jetty, or if signs are posted warning of rip currents.”
And, of course, the most important rule for keeping your dog safe at the beach is to never leave your pet unsupervised when close to water. We’re so glad this pup was OK in the end, but let this remind all pet parents that we must be careful around the water.
