Dobermann’s long swim ends safely

Press, 8 February 1986, Page 2

Dobermann’s long swim ends safely

PA Wellington Lady is alive. The saga of the swimming Dobermann’s disappearance at sea has a happy ending. Lady bad been missing since midday Wednesday, and was presumed drowned. She disappeared after launching herself from the Petone foreshore to dog-paddle for a television news camera. She was last seen swimming south near the motorway. Yesterday morning, workers at the Horokiwi quarry, off the motorway, spotted a frightened Dobermann.

Lady walked Into the smoko room about 9.30 a.m., before disappearing outside and under the building.

Workers were unable to coax the frightened dog out, and telephoned a local radio station which called Lady’s owner, Mrs Brenda Kenworthy. The

happy owner went to the quarry and coaxed the frightened dog out. Mrs Kenworthy said Lady was overjoyed to hear her voice and bounded towards her.

“She is wonderful, just so pleased to be home,” Mrs Kenworthy said. Lady came to public notice this week when she swam to Somes Island and back from the Petone foreshore. Her marathon swim began in the early evening, and ended at 4.30 a.m. when she staggered into the Kenworthys’ Tennyson Street home.

She made another marathon swim the next day for a newspaper photographer, making a wide circuit of the harbour.

Mrs Kenworthy will not ban the dog from the harbour, swimming was Lady’s great passion, she said.