A lost dog crosses the Bering Sea

In Alaska, a dog who had been missing for a month has reappeared after trekking 150 miles across the sea ice of the Bering Sea. My 1-year-old Nanuk, an Australian Shepherd, had two serious bite marks on his paws but was doing well.

Nanuk was visiting Savogna, on St. Lawrence Island, with her family in March when she disappeared without trace, along with other family dogs. The other dog, Starlight, was found a few weeks later.

Nanuk’s life was fearful until pictures of a dog appeared on the Internet. It was posted by people in Wales, the westernmost town on the North American continent.

“My dad texted me: A dog was found in Wales that looks exactly like Nanuk,” says owner Mandy Iworrigan. When I went online to search, I immediately recognized it. “I thought that couldn’t be true, that’s our dog! What does he do in Wales?”

How the dog managed to get away 150 miles is a mystery to her. “Maybe the ice moved while I was fishing.” Eurygan suspects that her dog survived by eating scraps left by seals. Or maybe she caught seals or birds herself.

The dog eventually returns to Savogna by plane, where she is He is reunited with its owner.