The Hudson River is rather wide between New York City and New Jersey, ranging from one mile to.5 miles in certain areas. It sounds like pure, excruciating misery to swim over there.
However, Bear—a combination of a Leonberger and a Bernese mountain dog—was able to accomplish it earlier this week, as reported by WABC. After going missing from Manhattan on Saturday, Edgewater Fire Company No. 1 discovered him in New Jersey early on Tuesday morning.
Bear was discovered by the firemen beneath an Independence Harbor pier.
His owner, Ellen Wolpin, told WABC, “He’s doing great, you would never know that he had this adventure—he’s fantastic.”
What was his method? To begin with, some of the largest canines available are Leonbergers and Bernese mountain dogs, and Leonbergers are fond of swimming. You can imagine how he paddled across given his stature and skill.
On Saturday, when they were shopping for a new harness for Bear, he broke free from Wolpin. He went along the West Side Highway and dove into the river at 110th Street, according to WABC.
Bear was taken to an animal hospital by the firefighters after they saved him, and they also gave him some much-needed food. Then, a week after Wolpin had taken him home, he was reunited with him. He is going to be her son’s service dog because he has unique requirements.
“I believed he had left forever. This weekend, we were inconsolable and heartbroken. We were at a loss for what to do,” she said to WABC.
Luckily, he just made the decision to take a really long swim. Hopefully, he and Wolpin’s son—whom Wolpin refers to as both “fighters”—will get to spend many, many years together. Ideally mostly on land.