It took more than two weeks, but a 3-year-old golden retriever named Chunk is finally back home with his family!
Before he was rescued, Chunk went on quite a scary journey. It all started when Jim and Marie Zangara took their whole crew out for a fun day at the beach.
“(Chunk) loves to swim and play and fetch a ball – that’s pretty much his favorite thing to do,” Marie said.
He was doing just that when things took a turn. Chunk, who normally stays close to his family, grabbed his toy from the water and ran into a marshy area instead of returning to Jim. The family spent hours searching for him but had no luck. They soon reached out for help on Facebook, where they asked everyone to call them if they saw their sweet pup.
The phone started ringing almost immediately. In the days that followed, even the Zangara family spotted him once. But with each spotting, no one was able to catch Chunk.
Luckily, everything aligned when two women who were out for a run spotted Chunk near the Mantaloking Bridge. One of them tried calling out to him, but he was too afraid and jumped into the bay.
The women rushed over to help. When they saw a nearby fisherman on a boat, they recruited him for their rescue mission. While he was able to get close to Chunk, the pup was still frightened, causing him to bite the man before swimming away. At some point, his collar came off, and the man was able to catch it and find a phone number.
As the fisherman called Chunk’s owners, the two women called 911. Once the New Jersey State Police arrived, they managed to get Chunk back on land. Minutes later, he was finally back where he belongs!
Posts and comments celebrating Chunk’s return were all over Facebook. Hound Hunters of New Jersey even gave a shoutout to some of the heroes involved in the rescue: “A huge THANK YOU to an amazing community and especially the New Jersey State Police and Brick Township Police Department for being there through this whole process and lending a helping hand.”
The official Facebook page for the New Jersey State Police also made an announcement that Chunk is doing great!
“Needless to say he was ecstatic to be reunited with his grateful owners,” they said.
We’re so thankful all these people were willing to take the time and effort to help Chunk and his family!
Share this story to celebrate Chunk’s safe return home.
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