Dog survives 16 days on yacht lost at sea

Dogs have survived incredible deprivation before, but Juanita's 16-day-ordeal is the longest known of in New Zealand.

Juanita belongs to Paul van Rensburg – the yachtie whose boat was discovered yesterday near the Chatham Islands. Mr van Rensburg was not on board – but Juanita was.



As a dog behaviourist, Dan Abdelnoor knows what makes dogs tick, but even Doggie Dan, as he likes to be known, is amazed at Juanita's survival – but warns she will need help getting over the ordeal.

“Dogs do become extremely scared and worried, just like you'd expect them to be when they're left alone on the boat and they don't know what's going on,” Mr Abdelnoor says. He says Juanita would have been stressed, but dogs are very resilient.



Doggie Dan thinks she also probably owes it to her master taking plenty of rations on board. “Sixteen days – it had to be getting water from somewhere,” Mr Abdelnoor says. “Very likely it raided the water on the boat and it's raided the food on the boat.”

Chatham Island police say Juanita is doing well, but dog experts say the two-year-old will no doubt be wondering where her good friend and companion is.