MEET SEA DOG ZENA!
Anett and Willem had always longed to have a dog but, working long hours out of a New York City apartment, the situation was never right. When they decided to sell up and embrace a sailing life aboard a gleaming white catamaran, they wanted a canine companion to share their nautical adventures.
“We started asking around the marina for tips and recommendations and were encouraged to find boats with multiple dogs on board, all to great success!” smiles Anett.
Meanwhile, Zena was en route to ARRI from an overcrowded Southern shelter, hoping for a new life in New England after a rough start. Little did this Chesapeake Bay Retriever pup know that the dream life for a water dog awaited her!
Anett and Willem had already met with a few dogs at ARRI but none were right for boat life. “One was delightful but skittish and even waves can make loud noises and we didn’t want to upset her further. ARRI’s trainer Bryan was superb helping us find the right match. Before we even met Zena he had taken her to the beach to see how she was around water and we were so impressed that he went the extra mile with his matchmaking, both for us and the dog.”
They tried not to get too hopeful about the meeting – they had already fallen in love with her picture and at 10 months and 45lbs she was just the right size and age. She even had webbed feet!
An appointment was set.
“Zena was perfect!” Anett confirms. “We could see straight away that she is incredibly intelligent, as well as playful and a total food hound – food is life!”
They adopted her on the spot!
SAILING INTO THE SUNSET
This was October of 2020 and since then the family has traveled 532 nautical miles together.
“Willem had sailed for twenty years and raced sailboats in Newport so he is experienced and resourceful – when Zena chewed through the ropes we used to secure her, he made a custom leash by splicing an old line from the boat!”
As you can see from the pictures, she’s always in her luminous yellow lifejacket for safety. She has also given new meaning to the term “poop deck” – it’s actually great to have a boat dog that is happy to use the bathroom on board as you can travel further without stopping. In fact, Zena has taken to all things ocean so well they have invented a new breed name for her – the Chincoteague Oyster Hound!
“I remember her devouring her first fish head in Cape Charles marina in Virginia but when we bought a bushel of oysters we found her favorite treat – cleaning out the shucked shells and chewing on them!”
The couple introduced Zena to sailing trips gradually, taking voyages to Chesapeake, Delaware Bay, Cape May, and even cruising past the Manhattan skyline, where Ocean Stater Zena took on a New York State of mind! In fact, if you go to Anett and Willem’s Instagram account – @aandwadventures – you can see a video montage of Zena taking in iconic landmarks like the Chrysler Building and the Statue of Liberty. The water views are so soothing and enchanting, especially matched with ambient tunes. But, of course, the absolute best thing is seeing Zena in her element, fur ruffling in the breeze, gazing at the horizon – a natural sea dog!
If you would like to tell us about the special adventures with your ARRI rescue please email bjones@animalrescueri.org
If you would like to give a dog like Zena a chance at an amazing new life, please consider purchasing a Ticket to Ride. You can find more details by clicking HERE.