MERRILL, Wis. (WSAU) — A group of Girl Scout camp staff members found a dog that was reported missing seven weeks ago.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department officials say the dog was spotted on one of the islands of Olivotti Lake by the Camp Birch Trails Girl Scout Camp faciliators. The dog was lost and very hungry.
Camp staff tried to rescue the dog, but they were only equipped with canoes, so they contacted the county for help. The Sheriff’s Department Recreation Deputy, one other Lincoln County deputy, and the Lincoln County Humane Society went to help. Campers could hear the dog barking throughout the night, and they believe it was on the island for at least four days.
When the group of would be rescuers reached the island using the Recreation Deputy’s boat, the dog at first went to greet them but then ran away and would not come near them. The group tried to contain the dog to a peninsula on the island hoping to use a catch pole, but the dog jumped in the water and swam about 35 yards to shore where she was met by campers offering it food.
The dog was brought to the Humane Society where it was found in good health, but full of ticks. Although it had no collar or tags and was not microchipped, the dog was reunited with its owner on Monday afternoon. It had been reported missing from the Tug Lake area, nearly a mile from where the dog was found.
