Sophie: The Incredible True Story of the Castaway Dog
When an Australian blue-heeler dog was found on the mostly uninhabited island of St. Bees, in the shark-infested waters of the Great Barrier Reef, national park rangers wondered how she came to be there. They spent months trying to capture her, slowly winning her trust, unaware that she’d fallen overboard from a boat on a family outing. Australian journalist Pearse recounts the story of how Sophie survived for five months in the wild as a castaway on the island before allowing herself to be rescued. Pearse speculates what the journey must have been like for the three-year-old dog, alone in the ocean, swimming six nautical miles from where she’d fallen overboard. Pearse also recalls how Sophie’s owner, a teenage girl, Bridget, met the puppy, fell in love, and raised Sophie until the day she was lost to the family. Pearse interweaves research on the bonds between animals and their owners, including an interview with animal expert Temple Grandin. Dog lovers will appreciate this heartwarming story of animal survival and the ties between humans and animals. --Vanessa Bush