Plucky Kerry's Amazing Exploit

Story provided by Ron & Carol Ramsay from a 1932 newspaper clipping

A Mr. Mattick bought a kerry named Princess Thora in 1932 and shipped her to USA on the S.S. Ascania. The bitch was kenneled on the isolation deck and quickly became a favourite with the passengers and crew.

When the ship was within 6 hours of Montreal, Mr. Mattick's son asked permission to take Thora for her customary walk. Some time later Mr. Mattick was returning to the state-room when one of the nurses came running down the companion way shouting "Sir, your dog is overboard!"

It was five in the afternoon...the weather was dreary, with a slight mist falling, the wind beating the St. Lawrence into an ugly, choppy river. It seems that Mr. Matticks son had left the door of the kennel unfastened and the bitch had escaped and in trying to avoid a passengers effort to capture, it had slipped overboard.

Mr. Mattick immediately tried every means within his power to locate it. He had adverts in 56 newspapers in and around the area, offered rewards for information, and even broadcast an appeal from a radio station.

Twelve days later he received a phone message from a friend telling him that Thora had been picked up in the water 30 miles away from where she had fallen in!

As Mr. Mattick remarks, some of the distance was current drift, but even then, it was necessary for the bitch to paddle to keep afloat

After a couple of days rest, Thora was railed 1500 miles to St. Louis to Mr. Matticks home and arrived none the worse for her alarming experience!

Last Update: 12/11/05, 23:56:24  Terms of Use and Disclaimer.