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Dog rescued from river reunited with family in Farmington

Posted at 5:55 PM, May 27, 2014
and last updated 2014-05-27 19:55:51-04

FARMINGTON, Utah -- A Farmington family was reunited with their dog Tuesday after it was rescued from a swift-moving river in Farmington Canyon.

Larae Beck and her family had been searching for their lost Labrador, Libby, since Saturday. Beck said it’s pretty common for her two dogs to wander the large piece of property where they live, but Sunday morning, only one dog returned and it was obvious something happened.

Down a dirt fire road about four miles from the Beck home, Libby ended up in high water in Farmington Canyon Saturday night.

A family had been hiking in the area when they said they heard a dog crying from the nearby river.

“One of the dogs it looked like had fallen down from the rocks and was partially submerged on the edge of the river,” said Sgt. Jason Sorensen with Davis County Sheriff’s Office.

It was cold and the lab was shivering, said Erik Borenmeier, logistics officer for Davis Search and Rescue.

“It had managed to find the small piece of real estate that was left on the small part of the river – it was moving fast,” Borenmeier said.

Rescue crews were called out to make the recovery. The video in the newscast was shot Saturday night as the Swift Water Team pulled the frightened dog to safety.

Libby was brought to the Davis County Animal Shelter in hopes that her owners would come looking for her.

“We had called Sunday -- we called the sheriff’s department and they told us about her. And then we couldn’t come get her yesterday because it was Memorial Day,” Beck said.

Animal Control said the dog was not micro-chipped but had she been, the county would have been able to get her home sooner.

Micro-ships can be done by any veterinarian and usually cost about $25.