Animal control finally rescued a Great Dane that had been missing for weeks in rural Michigan. 2-year-old Zaria ran away from her parents almost a month ago, avoiding recapture the entire time. Eventually, she ended up on an island in the middle of Cranberry Lake in August.
Island Rescue Operation
Ruanne Hicks, director of Clare County Animal Control, spoke to WNEM about the agency’s continued efforts to rescue Zaria. Hicks says, “I think the difference was we did not put anything outside of the cage at all. She ate inside the cage for about two and a half days.”
Newsweek reports that because the Great Dane is skittish around people—particularly hats—rescuers used live bait set in traps to coax her. Additionally, they deployed cameras to track her movements.
Bob Dodson was one of the animal control officers searching for Zaria. According to him, their plan of action involved mostly waiting for the right moment. “Once we set our trap about there you know, we would put food at the entrance of the gate, make a trail line that would go back to a laser beam that went across or a beam that went across where she went so far in and shut the gate,” he says.
Eventually, their patience paid off. When they finally caught Zaria, Hicks and Dodson were in the middle of eating their lunch. Hicks says, “We jumped up. (Dodson) drove really really fast and we got out here. He had to kayak to the island, get the pontoon boat, come back for me. And then we went back across.”
Making a Hopeful Recovery
Thankfully, Zaria is in mostly good health. Aside from a small yeast infection and being emaciated, she is healthy.
While she rests and readjusts to people, Animal Control has isolated Zaria. Unfortunately, authorities report that her eating habits have dwindled, so she’s currently eating small meals while she recovers.
Eventually, Hicks and Dodson say that Zaria will either be sent to a rescue shelter or paired with a foster home.
