Arno the dog rescued after more than two hours at sea

A dog that went missing after falling overboard from a boat near the Blue Lagoon has been reunited with its owners thanks to the help of watersports staff, harbour authorities and animal welfare officers.

Slovenian sailor Bogdan Zvanut, 74, and his wife Petra were sailing from Sicily to Malta on Monday with their five-year-old Lakeland terrier, Arno, when they stopped at the Blue Lagoon in the late afternoon.

“There were lots of waves, and it was pretty choppy.” Said Zvanut told Times of Malta. “We saw him go to the bow of the boat and when we looked back, we couldn’t see him and had no idea where he went. That’s when it occurred to us he was missing!”

Zvanut said he and his wife searched the boat and the surrounding water but could not see their dog. They then retraced their route by boat, hoping to spot him in the sea.

“We were in a desperate state trying to find him. My wife couldn’t stop crying. He means a lot to us,” Zvanut said.

He described Arno as “a very energetic and naughty dog who we love very much!” 

According to Zvanut, the sailing boat is Arno’s “second home” and he loves to go swimming every day. The couple spend much of their time sailing through the Mediterranean and have taken precautions to keep the dog safe at sea.

They sometimes keep him on a leash and have installed a net around most of the boat’s hull. The only section without a net is the bow.

“We kept him off the leash for that bit because we were so close to the coast,” Zvanut said.

After searching around Comino, the couple went to Mġarr harbour, where they alerted the harbour master and asked for help.

At around the same time, staff from Bluewaves Water Sports spotted something floating near the edge of Blue Lagoon.

“There was something with curly hair floating on the water. And then as we got closer, we noticed it was a dog!” one of the staff at Bluewater said.

The staff were concerned because the dog was some distance from the shore and did not appear to be with anyone. They pulled him onto their boat and published a post saying they had found a dog in the sea.

Arno after being rescued by Bluewaves watersports at Blue Lagoon. Photo: Bluewaves Watersport

“Considering we found him away from the shore, he was incredibly calm and well-behaved. He was clearly used to being at sea and on boats.”

In Gozo, the harbour master alerted skippers and boat operators to the missing dog.

After two hours of waiting, Zvanut said the harbour master returned with good news: Arno had been found and taken in by animal welfare officers.

Relieved and full of gratitude, the couple were reunited with him on Tuesday.

“I must say there was an amazing organisation by the authorities. We were able to get our dog back thanks to their amazing work, and we are incredibly thankful.”

The Zvanuts and Arno now plan to continue their journey through the Mediterranean, grateful for Malta’s animal welfare services and the kindness of those who helped bring their dog back.