Injured Dog Found On An Island In The River After Disappearing For Two Weeks

Taking dogs on an outdoor adventure with us is always a fun idea. But sometimes things go horribly wrong. I think it’s safe to say that as pet owners, we’d be beside ourselves if something happened to our dog while we were out a hike. Unfortunately for the Clinger family, they experienced a nightmare while on a camping trip.

In Caldwell, Idaho, Valles Clinger and her family decided to go on a camping trip. They didn’t hesitate to bring Beau, their beloved dog. The Shepherd Lab mix had been a major part of the family for the previous two years after the Clingers had rescued him from the West Valley Humane Society.

Ready for adventure, the Clinger family and Beau set off for their weekend of camping. However, while they were driving their truck, the trip took a turn for the tragic. Beau had been riding in the back of their truck’s bed when something terrible happened. The pup either fell out of the back, or he jumped out – either way, the Clingers were terrified about what could’ve happened to him. When they noticed, they immediately pulled the car over and began searching for Beau.

Unfortunately, there was no trace of Beau. They continued their search, eventually sparking some help from their community. But it wasn’t until 12 days after he went missing that he finally was found – 5 miles from where he’d disappeared from. Employees from the Cascade Raft and Kayak ended up finding Beau. The poor dog had been stranded on an island right in the Payette River.

When the news broke that he’d been found, the Clingers were beside themselves with joy. However, they were still concerned about Beau – he’d been gone long enough that there were serious worries about the state of his health after so long. During his ordeal, Beau had suffered a road rash, a fractured ankle joint, and he’d lost 16 pounds. His ankle fracture had to be repaired with surgery at the Idaho Humane Society.

But despite his 12-day struggle, Beau was lucky to be reunited with his family – not all dogs that would have similar experiences would be as fortunate. His family was equally as thrilled to have him home.

Watch the video of his rescue below: