Lost Dog Spends a Month Waiting for Its Family on a Lonely Pier

A dog in Thailand recently went on an adventure so grand that it sounds like the plot of a movie.

The pooch was reportedly riding with his family on a boat in the Chao Phraya River near Bangkok when she fell off. Luckily she was able to swim to the nearby Rama V pier and began a long vigil awaiting their return.

According to a Facebook post from Thanawan Tongporn, the dog waited on the pier staring off into the distance every day for over a month. As the weeks wore on, kind strangers would assist the dog in finding food and water while she waited.

As time went on Tongporn’s Facebook post went viral in Thailand, eventually being shared over 11,000 times, and even drawing attention from local news outlets. But for reasons unknown, the dog’s family never returned, despite the media coverage.

After the month of fruitless waiting, the dog was finally adopted by a concerned family. Due to the earlier media coverage, the dog’s adoption became a media event in and of itself where news crews showed up to film the event, according to a Facebook post from Rungrot Kongpiban. The dog’s new owners gave her the name Tha Ruea, which translates to Pier in English, in honor the waiting spot that saved her life.

According to a later report on Taiwanese television, Tha Ruea is happily living with her new family, enjoying a spacious house with amenities including a large backyard pool. It’s a happy ending for Tha Ruea after all.