A Puppy Trapped on a Frozen Lake Rescued by a 'Drone Carrying Treats'

Lead to a safe zone and guide towards the land

A story has been shared about a puppy stranded on a frozen lake in the United States being rescued by a drone.

A scene of luring Brooklyn with snacks attached to a drone. Photo by ABC News

On the 3rd (local time), foreign media including ABC News in the U.S. reported that on Christmas Eve (the 24th) last month in New Jersey, a 20-month-old puppy named 'Brooklyn' was stranded on a frozen lake. At the time, the owner’s family went out for the holiday, leaving Brooklyn in the care of a dog sitter. During this time, Brooklyn escaped from the house and ran out onto the frozen lake.

When rescuers tried to save Brooklyn, the frightened puppy ran around here and there, and eventually had to endure the cold overnight on the frozen lake. Seeing this, a neighbor came up with the idea of using a drone to lure Brooklyn. The neighbor attached treats such as chicken, which dogs like, to the drone to attract Brooklyn. Brooklyn chased the treats and came out of the lake but ran back onto the lake whenever people appeared.

A scene of luring Brooklyn with snacks hung on a drone. Photo by ABC News

The police and residents went through ups and downs but eventually succeeded in luring Brooklyn to a safe area. The police scared Brooklyn at the safe zone to make him run onto land. After that, Brooklyn was found in front of a nearby house’s front door and was safely rescued. The neighbor said, "I felt relieved to hear that Brooklyn was safely rescued," and added, "I’m glad that one of the many drones flying around New Jersey was useful for the rescue."

Athena pressing the doorbell after leaving the house and returning. AP News footage capture

Meanwhile, there was also a puppy who left home but found its way back on Christmas Eve like Brooklyn. On the 14th of last month, Athena the puppy slipped out while the owner’s family was out. Despite the family’s efforts to find Athena everywhere, she was missing for over a week. However, in the early morning of Christmas Eve, the 24th, Athena found her way home and rang the doorbell. When the owner woke up at the sound of the doorbell and opened the front door, Athena ran inside, licked the face of the owner’s son who was dozing on the sofa, played with a ball, and then went into her cage to sleep. Based on the contacts the owner received during the missing period, it is estimated that Athena traveled nearly 32 km back and forth during the time she was away from home.