Dog rescued from 220km out at sea is unrecognisable now
A dog that was found swimming in waters 220 kilometres away from land broke hearts this week when photos of him wet and shivering went viral online.
He had just been hauled from the sea onto the platform of an oil rig off the coast of Thailand.
His rescuers had no way to tell how long the golden-brown dog had been swimming for, nor how he got into such a predicament, but it was impossible not to notice his exhaustion.
“His eyes were so sad. He just kept looking up just like he wanted to say, ‘please help me’,” rig worker Vitisak Payalaw told CNN.
“He looked extremely exhausted and ran out of energy. He didn’t move much… He was shaking and he couldn’t stand, he had to sit all the time.”
The dog was named ‘Boonrod’, the Thai word for ‘survivor’.
The crew fed the trembling animal food, water and electrolytes, bathed him and wrapped him in a blanket to rest, with Mr Payalaw sharing every update about the dog to his personal Facebook page.
That original post, which was shared on the afternoon of April 12, has since amassed 53,000 likes, 23,000 shares and more than 7,000 comments — initially in Thai, and then in English and other languages as international outlets picked up the pup’s miraculous story.
As Boonrod regained his strength, his proud rescuers kept the world updated with the photographs being a testament to how he was recovering.
By the time Mr Payalaw and the rest of the oil rig crew delivered Boonrod back to dry land three days after he was pulled half-dead from the sea, the dog was a vision of health and happiness.
To further complement the dog’s thriving health, the workers draped a yellow garland of marigolds around the smiling dog’s neck; a symbol of welcome and good fortune.
On the mainland in Songkhla, Boonrod was examined by a vet and given to animal rights group, Watchdog Thailand.
In the charity’s latest Facebook post, Boonrod is shown is smiling and happy, getting bathed, fed and lots of cuddles with an additional post that adds: “Boonrod, beautiful life rescued from gulf of Thailand”.
To further enhance Boonrod’s happy ending, Mr Payalaw has told CNN if he is not claimed by his owner he will adopt him.
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