– I am so happy that he is back again. I have no words, says matron Laila Kristiansen with tears in her throat. The puppy Rino was on a cabin trip when he disappeared on Saturday two weeks ago. Kristiansen had almost given up hope of getting Rino back, but two weeks later he was found by a volunteer. It was Vennesla Tidende that mentioned the case first. The story begins with a reasonably dramatic boat capsize on Stølsvannet in Øvrebø in Agder. Rino sat on Kristiansen’s lap when she and a friend took a boat trip. – When the boat overturned, I held Rino and swam towards shore, says Kristiansen. She says that it became difficult to swim and that she had to let go of the little puppy. – When I got ashore and got my bearings, I saw that Rino was gone, she says. The friends searched and shouted, but without success. Laila Kristiansen with Rino at the vet on Monday. Photo: Eirik Rognaldsen / news Appeared on a wildlife camera Three days later, his mother had hope of finding him again. Rino had appeared on a wildlife camera. – He had swum over to the other side and run into the forest there, says Kristiansen. She tells how difficult the terrain is at Homstean, where her cabin is located. – There is so much scrub and bog that it is difficult to get through. I can only imagine what it’s like for small dog legs to get through the thickets there, she says. Rino is a mix of Shih Tzu and Maltese. The Shih Tzu belongs to the group of small Tibetan dog breeds and has roots that stretch to the mountains of Tibet. Grateful for volunteers Shortly after Rino disappeared, a search operation was launched in which volunteers participated. – There were around 25 people looking, and on the night he was found there were three people out on the post. There was a lady who managed to lure him to her, says Kristiansen. – How was the condition of the puppy after 14 days out alone? – He was dehydrated, but the vet sent him home with me the same evening. Kristiansen says she is grateful to all the volunteers who took part in the search. This is the poster that the Facebook page Rømlingen put out when Rino disappeared, and when he was found again. It is the girl in the picture who finally found the puppy in the forest. Photo: PRIVATE Blueberries and ants Long-time dog trainer Tore Lislevand in Søgne is surprised that Rino has managed outside for so long. – Because he is a puppy and of that breed, I have to say that he has been lucky. I often hear about hunting dogs that manage for a long time in the mountains, but they know how to hunt lemming and other things, says Lislevand. – What is Rino made of that has survived in the wet marsh for so long? – He has probably eaten blueberries and a few insects, I think. And if he has had access to water, it has probably kept him alive, says Lislevand. Tore Lislevand is a dog trainer and finds it surprising that the puppy Rino has survived in the forest alone for two weeks. Photo: Morten Rosenvinge / news Hope he fears the forest Kristiansen has no intention of letting Rino loose when they are at the cabin anymore. – I will have him on a leash. That is for sure. She has been advised to equip Rino with a GPS, so that he can be found if he goes for a walk again. – The vet thinks Rino may have had blood on his teeth and a taste of freedom after this experience, so now it will be GPS, laughs Kristiansen. Before the next trip to the cabin, the puppy will also go on a fattening and cuddling regimen at the foster mother’s home. – He was very hungry when he came home and now he eats puppy food and boiled cabbage and carrots, says dog owner Laila Kristiansen.
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The puppy Rino survived alone in the forest for two weeks – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
