A dog rescued from the Baltic Sea after braving a 120km journey on an ice floe is making himself at home on the Polish research ship whose crew rescued him, the captain said on Friday.
Baltica ship captain Jerzy Wosachlo said the dog slept on a blanket in the ship’s laboratory, then shared a sausage breakfast with the crew.
He said the dog often sticks close to the mechanic who saved him but has also started moving around as he pleases, enjoying the company of people.
“We have enrolled him as a crew member,” Wosachlo said.
Nicknamed “Baltic,” the dog — furry and friendly — will continue in that capacity unless his owner is found, the captain said.
The ship is preparing to sail on Feb. 10 on a brief mission — with the dog, unless he is afraid, Wosachlo said.
With the ship in the port of Gdynia on Friday, the black-and-brown mongrel was occasionally taken on land for walks, he said.
The Sea Fishing Institute that owns the ship sent a bowl and a squeaking toy, and the scientists on board brought dog food. Wosachlo was receiving numerous calls from people offering money to feed the dog or wanting to adopting him.
After news of the dog’s rescue broke, four people called saying he was theirs. But the dog kept his distance from the first two, showing no recognition. Two other callers who had planned to come for the dog on Friday canceled, Wosachlo said.
Polish President Lech Kaczynski, himself a dog owner, sent the crew a letter praising its action in saving the dog’s life.
“Such gestures make our world a better one,” Kaczynski wrote.
The dog was first seen last Saturday on the Vistula River, 100km inland, drifting on a piece of ice past the city of Grudziadz. Local firefighters said they failed to save him then.
He was spotted again on Monday, 24km from land in the Baltic Sea, when he was rescued by the Baltica crew.
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