Bear, a frightened puppy who got loose Saturday afternoon in New York City, somehow survived a daunting swim across the Hudson River to New Jersey and has been reunited with his grateful owners days later.
The Leonberger Bernese mix was rescued by the Edgewater Fire Company around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday from beneath the Pier at Independence Harbor, officials and his owner said. Bear ran for a mile-and-half through the Upper West Side of Manhattan on Saturday before leaping into the river, which averages just over a half-mile in width, though it’s unclear how far Bear swam.
“The entire thing is crazy,” Bear’s owner, Ellen Wolpin told NJ Advance Media by phone Wednesday “We were not expecting this outcome. We are beyond happy. As my son said, ‘this is a miracle.’ We prayed for it.”
Bear had only become part of Wolpin’s family a few days before his adventure, she said. The family bought Bear from a breeder with plans to train him to be a service dog for her 20-year-old developmentally disabled son, Wolpin said.
The dog’s first few days as a New Yorker — he arrived just last week — were spent trying to get him acclimated to city life.
“He was even scared to leave the apartment,” Wolpin said “He was excited when we took him to the park, but I never took him off leash. Even going downstairs, he was kind of getting used to the city.”
Wolpin was caught off guard when Bear broke free off his collar in the area of West End Avenue and 80th Street on Saturday afternoon. Someone tried to help grab Bear, but that “frightened him and got him to run even farther.”
Another good Samaritan also tried to chase Bear through Riverside Park, but wasn’t able to keep up with the speedy pup, who was last seen paddling in the murky Hudson River.
By that evening Wolpin said she was starting to think she and her son would never see their beloved dog again.
“Honestly on Saturday night, I lost hope,” she said. “On Sunday, when I realized no vets and no shelters were calling me, I was like ‘OK, ‘what am I going to do’ because my son kept asking where Bear was. We were going to do the goldfish swap and get him a new dog and tell him that was Bear.”
But Tuesday morning, Wolpin got a surprise call from Edgewater police, who tracked down Wolpin thanks to Bear’s microchip.
Other than being “super thirsty,” Bear is no worse for the wear following his adventure, Wolpin said.
“We’re so happy,” she said. “We were giving him all these hugs and kisses and my son was like ‘Bear, bear’. My son was so happy.”
Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.
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