Who let the dog out?

After nearly five days of sightings around Indian River County this on-the-loose German shepherd eluded capture from police, concerned residents and others. It was found on Feb. 28 after it swam the lagoon and hid on an island. It’s been dubbed the “sweetest dog ever” by Vero Beach police upon capture.

What we know about the capture: The German shepherd was rescued on Feb. 28 on an Indian River Lagoon spoil island. Traps were set on the island on Feb. 27 after Vero Beach animal control officers searched the island on Saturday for about four hours. The dog had been seen swimming to the island.

Food and water was laid out around the trap for the dog.

Next steps: After the dog was captured, it was taken to a veterinarian for examination. During the general examination, the doctor would be checking to see if the dog is microchipped−a rice-sized microchip that can be used as a GPS tracker and to store the owner’s information.

While nobody reported the dog missing, if an owner is not located the dog will begin the process of finding a foster family through the Humane Society of Vero Beach & Indian River County, according to Kelsea Marty, Vero Beach Police Department spokesperson.

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Why did the police get involved? It is not common practice for the police to get involved in lost dog searches. The Vero Beach police getting involved in this search was a first for them.