PLYMOUTH, Mass. — A Newfoundland dog helped save the life of a sea turtle stranded on Ellisville Beach.
It was chilly Monday morning, But Leah and Brad Bares took their Newfoundland dog, Veda, for a walk along Ellisville Beach. The beach had been littered with seaweed and other debris due to Sunday's strong winds.
Suddenly Veda walked ahead of the pair and laid down near the water. As the Bares approached, they noticed Veda was lying next to a sea turtle that blended in perfectly with the sand. The couples felt they wouldn't have been able to see it without Veda's vigilance.
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Sea Turtle Hospital said that Newfoundland dogs are known for their rescues of fisherman and Veda's quiet, but focused response to the turtle is typical of Newfoundland dogs.
The Bares immediately started calling friends to find out how to help the turtle. A near-by resident and Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay volunteer, William Gray, was able to come help, and carried the 40 pound sea turtle off the beach and brought it to the New England Aquarium's sea turtle hospital in Quincy.
When the loggerhead arrived, his body temperature was in the mid-40s, about 30 degrees less than it should be. Its body temperature was slowly brought up and is bright and alert, with a promising prognosis.
Due to the chilly temperatures Monday, it is unlikely the sea turtle could have survived much longer.
The New England Aquarium said this turtle standing was very late in the season and very unusual because it was found on the South Shore versus the Cape, where 99 percent of the strandings occur.