Expand / Collapse search
☰

Missing dog rescued from Florida river after being found tangled in tree

By
Published  March 6, 2025 3:29pm EST
Sumter County
FOX 35 Orlando

The Brief

    • Sumter County Fire & EMS recently partnered with Sumter County Animal Services to rescue a dog named "Blackie" who was spotted tangled in a tree.
    • Blackie had been missing for almost a week and was found unharmed.
    • Officials contacted Blackie's owner, and the pair were brought back together in an emotional reunion.

SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. - After missing for nearly a week, "Blackie" the dog has been recovered unharmed. 

Blackie was rescued from the Withlacoochee River with the help of both the Sumter County Fire & EMS and Sumter County Animal Services.

Officials were able to contact Blackie's owner, and the pair were brought back together in an emotional reunion.

Rescue and recovery

What we know:

Sumter County Animal Services said they received multiple calls about Blackie from concerned boaters in the Jumper Creek Wildlife Management Area around 9:30 a.m. on March 2.

Boaters said they saw Blackie tangled in a tree, trapped by his collar and leash, and unable to free himself from the water’s edge.

Animal control officers responded to the County Road 413 boat ramp in Lake Panasoffkee, where they met one of the reporting boaters.

After multiple attempts to reach Blackie by land failed, officials said they believed the only way to save him was by boat.

Sumter County Fire & EMS responded for support with two watercraft, and they were able to help transport animal control services to Blackie’s location. 

The team was then able to carefully free him from the entangled leash. They secured him safely and transported him back to the staging area.

Sumter County Fire & EMS recently partnered with Sumter County Animal Services to rescue a dog named "Blackie" who was spotted tangled in a tree. (Credit: Sumter County Fire & EMS)

Heartwarming reunion

What Came Next:

Blackie was miraculously unharmed despite being missing for about a week.

Officials said he was scanned for a microchip at the Sumter County Animal Services facility, and his owner was contacted. Blackie's owner arrived quickly for an emotional reunion, grateful to have his beloved companion home again.

"This rescue highlights the dedication, skill and teamwork of both Sumter County Animal Services and Sumter County Fire & EMS in serving and protecting the community, whether human or animal," officials said in a press release. "Their swift actions not only saved Blackie’s life but also reunited a lost pet with his family."

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:

The Source: This story was written based on information shared by Sumter County Fire & EMS in a Facebook post on March 6, 2025, as well as by the Sumter County Board of County Commissioners in a press release on March 6, 2025.

Sumter CountyPets and AnimalsHeartwarming News