Penny is back at home in North Delta after spending 11 days on her own in the woods of Nelson Island.
On Aug. 5 family members were taking a morning walk on a trail to a beach near their property in Vanguard Bay when the five-year-old, 11-kilogram beagle charged into the woods, “howling after something,” said owner Michelle Tresidder.
While beagles are known to follow their noses, they weren’t worried at first because Penny has always returned. “This time that did not happen,” said Tresidder.
The family began their extensive search. They told everyone on the island, inspected the shores of West Lake from their boat, but came up empty-handed.
The family called for backup, including animal tracker Jane Bowers of Roberts Creek. They posted on social media, spoke to the SPCA and other organizations that assist with lost pets.
“[They] all said dogs were really resilient, you just have to be patient,” said Tresidder. “When people would say to me, she’s alive, in my heart, I believed it, but your mind just spirals and you think worst-case scenario.”
The family extended their stay by three days but were forced to return to North Delta after running low on fuel, medication and provisions. They left out a blanket, some of her clothes and water.
After two days they returned, expecting defeat, but after Tresidder’s husband Colin called out, the fearful pup crept towards them. “She was obviously scared, and shaking and crying,” said Tresidder. Penny had lost weight but was otherwise in good health.
Since then, Penny has become a “Velcro dog” and hasn’t left her owners’ side.
Next time they visit Nelson Island, Penny will be wearing a collar with a GPS tracker, and she’ll be on a leash more often.
Tresidder also said knowing Penny had her collar on with identification as well as a microchip gave them peace of mind during the ordeal.
“The bigger takeaway is how amazing the Sunshine Coast was,” said Tresidder. “We felt very supported and impressed by the number of organizations that wanted to help us.” The local water taxi, marina, neighbours and more than 250 social media shares all contributed to the effort.
Because of that, said Tresidder, and the fact that there are very few cars on Nelson Island, Penny “probably did better in the woods than she [would] in the city.”
