Seaside Heights Police Rescue Dog From Barnegat Bay On Thanksgiving

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ — A frightened Chihuahua who found herself in Barnegat Bay was rescued on Thanksgiving when a pair of Seaside Heights police officers saw her clinging to some rocks, police and a report said.

Seaside Heights police shared the happy news of the dog's rescue on the department's Facebook page on Thanksgiving evening.

"Meet Gazelle," the post said. "She decided to wander off from her home in Seaside Park this morning only to end up in the water under the Seaside bridge for who knows how long. Thankfully Officer Pasieka and Officer Heckler decided to take out the patrol boat in this beautiful Thansgiving weather," the post said.

Officer Eddie Pasieka, of the Seaside Heights Marine Unit, and Officer Shawn Heckler were returning to shore from checking on a boat that had been anchored in Barnegat Bay for a couple of days when they saw the dog, Pasieka told News 12 New Jersey.

Gazelle was in the water near rocks under the smaller Seaside Heights bridge that connects Pelican Island to Seaside Heights, about a mile away from her home in Seaside Park, when the officers saw her, Seaside Heights police told Patch by email.

"After being scooped up out of the freezing water Gazelle was reunited with her family," the police department's Facebook post said.

The family told the officers that Gazelle had run away after she was startled by the sound of the smoke detector, and had been missing for about 45 minutes when the officers found her, the News 12 report said.

"We have so many things to be thankful for in our lives. Today little Gazelle is probably the most thankful for our amazing Seaside Heights Officers Pasieka and Heckler for being in the right place at the right time," the post said.

Have a comment, a question or a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com.