Airboat Stowaway Dog Reunited With Owner

Two biologists from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission got quite a shock earlier this week when they heard a bizarre scratching and tapping sound coming from the back of their airboat.

Unsure what could be making the racket, Jim Brannon and Rachel Young decided they’d better investigate before heading out to inspect ongoing work to remove invasive plants in the marshy Holey Land Wildlife Management Area.

That’s when they discovered Joe, a dog who had been lost and alone in the management area for more than 24 hours. The lost dog, it seemed, had found the “empty airboat and boarded it for a ride home,” FWC wrote on its Facebook page.

Realizing the critter wasn’t in the best shape, they gave him food and water and reached out to colleagues to see if anyone might have a lead on the stray’s owner.

As it turned out, Susie Nuttall, a fellow FWC biologist, had run into a man the day before who was looking for his dog in the management area. The man told Nuttall that Joe had jumped off his track vehicle and was lost in the wilderness.

“Joe’s paws were pretty cut up from the sawgrass, so the biologists carried him from the airboat to Susie’s vehicle, where he cozied up right next to her,” FWC wrote.

Joe and his owner were “happily reunited,” FWC reported.

Photo Credit: Joe snuggled up for the ride home. Photo courtesy of FWC’s Facebook page.

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