Kelby, a 19-month-old Newfoundland dog, swims behind a boat at Beltzville Lake.
“Kelby, come,” her owner George Abraham says.
She takes a tow line in her mouth, and at Abraham’s direction, pulls the boat back to shore.
She’s practicing for a rescue.
“What we’re doing is a one-of-a-kind thing here in the United States, but it’s not foreign overseas,” said Abraham, who is also president of the American Academy of Canine Water Rescue. “We trained at the Italian School of Water Rescue Dogs in Milan, Italy.”
“We became instructors for them, brought it here to the United States and we’re trying to expand that here to help with the need,” he continued.
With lifeguard shortages throughout the United States, the nonprofit trains dogs and humans to work together as lifeguards.
Water breed dogs, including golden retrievers, poodles, German shorthaired pointers, and of course Newfoundlands make a good rescue canine.
“The Newfoundland breed in general tends to be a lifesaving dog,” Abraham said. “They enjoy the water, it’s their natural instinct.”
During a training session, instructor Carolyn Hoos pretended to be a swimmer in distress.
“Do you need help?” he asked. “Kelby, come.”
They jumped into the water. Abraham grabbed the struggling swimmer, and then took hold of Kelby’s life vest. She then pulled them to shore.
Kelby made her first rescue Memorial Day weekend, when a jet ski capsized and one person didn't know how to swim.
"I deployed into the water, I called Kelby, she jumped from the boat," Abraham recalled. "I was able to have him hold on to Kelby, Kelby brought him right to our boat. It's exactly how we teach it."
"Since then, we've had multiple other rescues and a lot of assists where we've helped people that weren't necessarily in danger of drowning," he said.
Abraham is president of the national nonprofit, which has bases in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
This all started for him when he started training his first Newfoundland dog, Oakley.
Oakley was known as “That NEPA Newfie” on Facebook and one of the most accomplished water rescue dogs in the country.
She passed away in December, but not before leaving an impact on her little sister Kelby.
“Kelby got the advantage of growing up with her. So it helps to have a sibling you’re learning from but also in competition with. Kelby always wanted to do what Oakley was doing, but faster or farther or better. They were always competitive.”
Kelby was certified at just one year old, which Abraham says is rare. She will make her first helicopter jump in September.
Two days a week, she patrols the beach at Beltzville Lake in Carbon County. All lifeguards are volunteers, and they also provide educational programs for water safety.
The nonprofit hopes to grow. Abraham encourages owners of dogs who love water to consider giving it a try.
