A Tale of Two Dogs

At Shearwater Marina we met a nice couple from Lund/LA. Later we met their two Australian Shepherd dogs, Tehya and Teal. Note their multicolored eyes in the photos. Soon we learned that the dogs on their boat named “Lucky Puppy” are very lucky pups indeed.

A month ago, while hiking with the dogs near Sitka, Art saw a two Grizzlies, a mother and her cub. The Grizzlys made their exit and his dogs tried to round them up. The little female dog was attacked first. Art went back to the dingy to get it untied, then he went back to get the dogs. The little female was gone and the young male dog was in the mouth of the momma Grizzly. He yelled and the bear stood up to her full height—much taller than Art. Art used his bear spray and the bear released the dog as she headed for the woods.

Teal had wounds to his back. Art swooped him up and carried him back to the dinghy. The female dog was not in sight.

Art put his dog in the boat and headed back to their American Tug at anchor. Then his spied Tehya swimming in the icy water. As Art pulled her from the water he noticed that she had bloody wounds to her head and throat.

As Art approached his wife, Chris, on the tug he yelled, “The dogs have been attacked by Grizzlies!” She thought he was joking at first.

They hurried to Sitka where the local vet treated the dogs. The vet said he had lost a dog to a Grizzly about a year ago. The kind vet charged them around $60.00.
We could not tell that the dogs had been through that ordeal. They were running up and down the dock and enjoyed being petted.

Footnote: Sept. 5 The Lucky Puppy tug is here at Blind Channel Marina, just down the dock from us. It is good to see them again.