7th April 2009
When Jan Griffith's beloved dog, Sophie Tucker fell overboard from her family's yacht she feared her pet had drowned.But Sophie Tucker, a grey and black cattle dog, wasn't going to give up that easily.
The determined pet swam six miles through ferocious shark-infested seas to an island, where she survived for more than four months by hunting wild goats for food.
The extraordinary story of the castaway hound emerged today when Miss Griffith was reunited with her beloved pet.
'I thought I'd never see her again, but she's proved to be a dog who can really look after herself,' said Miss Griffith.
Sophie Tucker, named after the American vaudeville comedian, fell overboard from the family's yacht when they ran into bad weather off the Queensland coastal town of Mackay.
Miss Griffith and her friends searched the area, putting their own lives at risk in the rough seas, but there was no sign of Sophie Tucker.
Unknown to them, the dog swam towards remote St Bees Island, a quiet volcanic strip of land fringed with reefs.
MAP Sophie Tucker swam six miles to reach St. Bees Island
video: Australian cattle dog survivor, Sophie Tucker Sophie is happy to be home. The tropical paradise was lovely, but she had only one thing on her mind, her humans, Jane and Dave Griffith, who were on a sailing holiday in the Whitsundays when the incident occurred, they were convinced there was no way she could have survived in the choppy waters.
"We hit a rough patch and when we turned around the dog was gone," Mrs Griffith said.
BBC has video here of the special Queensland Healer. "She surprised us all," said owner Jan Griffith. "She was a house dog and look what she's done, she has swum over five nautical miles, she has managed to live off the land all on her own. We wish she could talk, we truly do."
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puglets. The breed has a fine, glossy coat that comes in a variety of colors, and a compact square body with well-developed muscle. They have been described as multum in parvo ("much in little"), referring to the Pug's personality and small size. Known in Ancient China as "Lo-Sze", they may have been responsible for both the modern Pekinese and King Charles Spaniel.
