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CNN Live Today
Dog Rescued After Spending Weeks on Abandoned Ship
Aired April 22, 2002 - 10:57 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: A dog that had been cast adrift aboard an abandoned tanker ship, the dog was found and rescued after spending nearly three weeks afloat.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to get details now from reporter Glen Wakai of our Honolulu affiliate KHNL.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAMELA BURNS, HAWAII HUMANE SOCIETY: They have found the dog onboard, and this is our latest report. The dog is well. It is certainly walking and running around.
GLEN WAKAI, KHNL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That was evident when the Coast Guard took this footage of Forgea frolicking around the deck. Burns says the humane society had almost given up hope after spending $50,000 to retrieve the dog.
BURNS: For those people who say, how could you, we say how could we not have rescued that dog. And we're just so lucky and feel so blessed that we were able to find the tanker.
WAKAI: It was feared this video shot by a tourist on the Norwegian Star captured the last barks by Forgea to be heard by human ears.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can hear a dog barking.
WAKAI: The cruise ship rescued 11 men left adrift for three weeks on the burnt out tanker, but the dog was forgotten. After hearing about the dog's plight on News 8, the humane society immediately launched a rescue. That attempt turned up nothing, and it was feared the ship had sunk.
Hope was renewed yesterday afternoon when a crew led by Bennett Boyer searched for the Insiko, fearing she could wash up on Johnston Island and create an environmental disaster. During the mission, Boyer had an additional concern.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am an animal lover. From way back, my parents always had dogs and cats. Right now, we're just with one cat.
WAKAI: The C-130 searched an 100 by 200 miles and just before heading back to Oahu, made the sighting. (on camera): Upon realizing Forgea was still alive, the crew members grabbed their lunch boxes, then tossed out fruits and also a pizza delivery.
(voice-over): They dropped the box right on the deck and marked the ship's position.
Even if you're not an animal lover, you can appreciate, you know, the ordeal that this animal has gone through.
WAKAI: Forgea should be brought to Oahu in a week and the humane society will try to send him back to his captain in Taiwan.
BURNS: We do 600 rescues a year on Oahu. None this dramatic, certainly not as expensive. But we're certainly committed to rescuing animals and for their protections.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: See, it was the captain's dog.
HARRIS: But how could the captain leave his dog behind?
KAGAN: I guess if your ship is sinking, it's -- I don't know. Maybe they'll find a new home for him in Hawaii. I think there's people interested as well in adopting the dog.
HARRIS: Oh, that dog would get adopted in 10 seconds. New rule now: The captain's dog goes down with the ship. Not the captain, but the captain's dog.
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