Dog Missing Since Fourth of July Found Swimming Alone After Being Swarmed by Seagulls Article | Archive
By Raven Brunner Published on July 20, 2026 03:14PM EDT
Missing dog rescued by the Menlo Park Fire Protection District.Credit :
East Palo Alto Police Department/Facebook
NEED TO KNOW
- A dog that had been missing for weeks was found swimming alone in the San Francisco Bay
- The dog was saved by firefighters using a drone and a boat, but was swarmed by seagulls before the rescue
- The pup went missing on the Fourth of July
The Menlo Park Fire Protection District received a call during the week of July 13 stating that a dog had entered a body of water and was swimming.
Firefighters said in a Facebook post that the sweet pup was located using a drone, which found the pooch paddling by himself in San Francisco Bay.
After the drone spotted the dog, the rescue team made its way to the swimming animal using a boat.
Missing dog after its rescue from the San Francisco Bay.
The dog was then turned over to the SPCA, which located the pet’s owners. The dog had been missing since the Fourth of July after getting spooked by the holiday’s sounds. The pet and its family have since reunited.
“Thank you to everyone who helped reunite this furry friend with its family,” the fire district wrote.
The post featured several pictures of the heroic rescue, including the black dog wrapped in a firefighter’s jacket, the rescue team posing with the dog in front of the boat, the rescue team on the boat, and the dog in the water.
Missing dog being followed by seagulls
The East Palo Alto Police Department shared a video of the rescue that shows the dog swimming in a body of water while swarmed by seagulls.
When the rescue boat reaches the animal, one person leans towards the water to scoop it up. After the dog is placed inside the boat, another team member grabs a jacket to wrap around it.
The boat returns to land, and the dog is shown shivering while in the arms of a firefighter.
“Tiny dog escapes marsh, survives aerial assault by an organized gang of seagulls, and is rescued by the Menlo Park Fire Department. 12/10 action movie,” police captioned the Facebook post.
A woman claiming to be the dog’s owner shared her appreciation in the comments of the fire district’s post.
“I want to thank the entire rescue team from the bottom of my heart. These last 2 weeks were a lot of agony not knowing about my dog,” she said.
The owner said she had visited the SPCA in San Mateo and an animal shelter in Palo Alto to find her missing pet.
“I was very, very depressed not knowing where she was and was even losing hope,” the woman continued.
“My heart started beating so hard when I received the call from the SPCA team. I would never be able to thank you enough for her rescue and for bringing her back to her home. Forever grateful,” she wrote.
Local outlet InMenlo reported that the dog was swimming in the San Francisco Bay. The pup was about half a mile from the shore when rescued.
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