Dispatch from Seaside
Dog Found in Hotel Bathtub, Declines to Comment
SEASIDE, Oregon — At approximately four o’clock on the morning of March 27, 2026, an eleven-year-old Old English Sheepdog and Standard Poodle mix named Zuki was discovered standing in the bathtub of a hotel room on the northern Oregon coast. The circumstances of his arrival in the tub remain unclear. Zuki, reached for comment, declined to explain himself.
The incident was first reported when this correspondent, waking to find the dog absent from his usual sleeping location, conducted a room-by-room search. Zuki was located in the bathroom. He was not bathing. He was not drinking from the faucet. He was standing upright in the center of the tub, facing the door, and appeared to be waiting for someone to arrive and account for the situation.
Eyewitness testimony from the sole human present describes the dog’s expression as “uncertain.” Whether Zuki had entered the tub on his own, had been transported there by forces unknown, or had simply awakened in the tub after a period of unconsciousness could not be determined from his demeanor alone.
The scene as discovered at approximately 4:00 AM. Zuki's expression remains unexplained.
Through counsel, Zuki issued the following statement: “No comment.”
Counsel further indicated that Zuki would permit a single authorized illustration of the incident to accompany any press coverage, but would not consent to photographs, video documentation, or interviews. The illustration, Zuki’s representative emphasized, should not be construed as an admission of anything.
Zuki has since returned to his regular sleeping quarters and resumed his ordinary schedule of meals, beach walks, and observing seagulls from the hotel balcony. Sources close to the dog describe him as “unbothered” by press inquiries. He has asked that his privacy be respected during this difficult period.
The investigation is ongoing.