When fisherman spotted Baby, she was paddling 2 miles offshore in Tampa Bay, her nose rising just above the water.
We may never know how long the small pooch was treading water -- but we do know she's been missing for two years. At about 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, fishermen rescued Baby off the St. Petersburg shoreline.
"We're assuming she fell overboard at night and nobody even knew it," Suzy Johnson, one of Baby's new caretakers, told the Tampa Bay Times.
That morning, Johnson brought Baby back to Demens Landing, where she lives on a boat. Tony Basile, another resident of the area, coaxed Baby out of the boat's crawlspace and took her in.
"She shook all night," he told the paper (video above).
A nearby pet hospital scanned Baby's microchip, and found a name and number. But the number didn't work, and hospital staff found that she'd been reported missing years ago.
Baby now whines every time Basile leaves her sight. It may seem like true love in the making, but Bevile wants to find her original owners if he can, according to The Associated Press.
From the Times:
Baby is brown, about 18 inches tall and 20 to 30 pounds, Johnson said. She's wearing a red collar and a pink rhinestone name tag. They aren't sure about her breed but say she seems well groomed and cared for.
"She is just so well trained and obedient," Johnson said.
Now, her caretakers are hoping a happy reunion will follow the dog's lucky rescue. [Banfield Pet Hospital] is trying to contact her owners, and in the meantime the staff hopes photos and word of the story will help her find her home.
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