Local dog's incredible 'tail' of survival
SPRING LAKE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Beaufus the dog and his owner got separated while camping near the North Carolina coast, and when his owner found him, Beaufus was barely alive.
Owner Mike Lancaster knows it's a miracle his beloved pet is still with him today.
On Mother's Day, Beaufus disappeared at Camp Clearwater, just outside of Wilmington. Twelve hours later, some kids found him treading water underneath a pier.
"[It] makes me want to cry that [Beaufus] had so much suffering," Lancaster shared. "I can't imagine being trapped in water, you can't get out for 8-12 hours."
When Lancaster got to Beaufus, the pup was barely alive.
"They said he was tangled in moss and fishing line and some other stuff, and barely had his head above water," Lancaster explained. "And he wasn't in good shape...he was just laying there."
Mike rushed Beaufus to his veterinarian, Dr. Mike Ward in Smithfield.
"I was very worried if he was going to survive or not," Lancaster said.
Beaufus was severely dehydrated and his kidneys were shutting down. Ward started IV fluids and antibiotics, but Beaufus was in shock and unresponsive. On an ultrasound, Dr. Ward saw something in the dog's intestines.
"We immediately cleared our schedule and did emergency surgery on him," Ward recalled. "And that's when we found plastic, or some kind of wrapper, there was some kind of bait."
Most likely, Ward said, Beaufus gulped the mystery object in when he was under the pier. Now, Beaufus is getting better. Ward calls it a "miraculous" recovery.
"I don't think I could live without him. I love him to death," Lancaster shared.
The vet says Beaufus is not out of the woods yet, he still has more to do to make a full recovery. But, his chance at survival is much better.
If you would like to donate to Beaufus' vet bills, click here.
