Dog's survival of sinking boat a miracle Sausalito pastor says

SAUSALITO, Calif. (Christian Examiner) — Last week, the pastor of California's Sausalito Presbyterian Church, delivered good news besides the Gospel to a man whose house boat sank during a raging West Coast storm.

Steve Alioto visited the church for a meal last Friday night when Pastor Paul Mowry approached him to ask if he was missing a dog. Mowry recognized Alioto from previous visits and noticed he was without his regular companion.

After verifying the information on the dog's identification chip, he reunited the pit bull, Daisy, and her owner.

"Steve whose boat had sunk and thought that Daisy had gone down with the ship was absolutely distraught," Mowry told CBS affiliate KPIX 5 before explaining what occurred.

"Daisy escaped the sinking ship, swam a mile and a quarter to shore in the middle of the storm in the dark, and found her way back to the church and just huddled up and waited there."

Alioto said he thought the worst when he returned to his home after the storm. "All I saw was the mast sticking out of the water."

Staying with a friend and still without a home, Daisy's survival was a welcome message, Alioto said.

Mowry said "she's alive."

Alioto's response? "I cried so hard.

"I'm the guy who provides the dog food, the walks, the baths, and everything that she tells me she needs," he said.

Mowry said the good news he told Alioto about the dog was not the Gospel, but that it might be a sign from God. "This is a total miracle story," he said.