Bailey: 7-month-old NYC dog rescued in NJ after weeklong multi-state search
On Sunday, May 8, a dog was found roaming inside a tunnel after it ran away from its home. The dog that got away last week was found safe following a multi-state search that began in the East River and concluded at a Home Depot in New Jersey. Bailey, a seven-month-old German Shepherd Akita mix, escaped from the owner's Red Hook yard last Friday, May 6, and promptly went for a swim in the East River near IKEA, according to Harriet Zucker, a dog trainer who assisted in the search.
Earlier, a researcher working on a barge observed Bailey swimming around and jumping on his paddleboard to help the pup get back to shore. Bailey, who is afraid of humans and has behavioral issues, continued to swim away, according to Zucker. The man was ultimately able to herd the dog down to the shore, where he rested on the rocks and sunbathed for many hours before disappearing. She told the NY Post, “We were trying to figure out where he was so we could set up feeding stations then maybe trap him. There was nothing at all, no sightings, nothing.” After pasting missing posters across Red Hook a few days later, Zucker received word that Bailey had been seen between Henry Street and Hamilton Avenue, near the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel entrance.
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She revealed, “Then I got another message that he was in the tunnel.” On Saturday, May 7, a video was shared on Twitter by a few motorists who witnessed Bailey racing through the tunnel while being chased by a New York State trooper. As the pup rushed past cars, a passenger who assumed Bailey was a wolf or coyote is heard shouting in the video, “Oh he’s coming in our lane! This is insane!”
Bailey departed in Manhattan and went out at Trinity Street, according to a cop patrolling the tunnel. According to Zucker, the officer added, “You should go into Manhattan and ask them.” Bailey had spent the whole Sunday, May 8 in Lower Manhattan. Later she received a call from the Port Authority police that Bailey had crossed state lines and was tracked to a Home Depot parking lot in Jersey City.
Zucker said, “It was pretty surprising that he ended up in New Jersey, which is quite an adventure for a puppy that’s never been outside before. The most amazing thing to me is just the journey that he took,” adding that the dog is not completely safe and healthy and just had a few minor wounds on his leg. Bailey also got a little skinny after spending a few days in the street, according to Zucker. She explained that Bailey's owner is being reunited with him, and she's looking for a foster who can assist the dog become less scared and more accustomed to humans. Zucker said to the NY Post, “There’s a lot of hope for him, he’s a nice dog. I do think he’s going to be a big snuggle. He needs a person that he’ll know has his back all the time.”
Bailey’s case is however not new, there are multiple times when a dog has been reunited with its owners after a significant period of time. Every year, according to the American Humane Association, approximately 10 million dogs and cats are lost or stolen in the United States. One out of every three pets will go missing at some time in their lives and millions of those end up in the animal shelters. Tragically, only 15 percent of dogs and 2 percent of cats in shelters without ID tags or microchips are reunited with their owners.
