The puppy found swimming in the middle of the bay last Monday will stay with the Berkeley family of the man who took it ashore - unless the dog's owners step forward.

So far, no one has claimed ownership of the dog, a black Labrador mix who was discovered paddling frantically in the bay about 3 miles from the Berkeley shoreline and 4 miles from Crissy Field.

Windsurfer Ed Coyne corralled her and put her on his board. Other windsurfers flagged down Adam Cohen, who commutes by inflatable boat to and from his job in San Francisco's Presidio, and he took the dog to his North Berkeley home. When they took the pooch to the Berkeley Dog & Cat Hospital on Tuesday morning, they learned that she had no implanted identity chip.

Efforts to find the owners, and figure out how the dog ended up so far in the bay, have been unsuccessful. Katie Corrigan of the veterinary hospital is coordinating the search. She can be reached at (510) 225-4545.

While the pup's owners have not surfaced, several people have offered to adopt her. But Friday, Cohen and his wife, Lisa Grodin, said they will adopt the dog if her owners don't turn up.

"Lisa and I decided we had to keep the dog," Cohen said. "She's very sweet, smart and starting to behave like a real puppy as she gets used to our house."

No custody battle

The dog returned to the vet Friday to get her shots, Cohen said. The vet said she was spayed and about 6 to 7 months old.

"She was so mellow that she snored through her appointment," Cohen said.

Coyne, the San Rafael windsurfer who rescued the dog, stopped by for an hour-long visit Friday. He said the puppy was "kind of shy with me" and didn't seem to recognize him but was clearly enamored with Grodin.

And, for those who might be wondering if there might be a custody battle, Coyne said he travels too much to be a responsible dog owner, though his daughter and some friends have encouraged him.

"It just wouldn't work out," he said. "I'm not personally able to have a dog right now."

Cohen and Grodin have been calling the dog Richard Parker, the name of the tiger that shares the lifeboat with a young boy stranded at sea in "Life of Pi." Coyne said the windsurfers have dubbed the dog Lucky for obvious reasons.

Many people who read the story of the dog's rescue had been rooting for Cohen and Grodin to keep her, and the couple thanked them as well as the people who offered to adopt her. They also praised the veterinary hospital and the Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society for helping search for the owners. But they reserved most of their gratitude for Coyne and his windsurfing buddies.

"The windsurfers were the real heroes," Cohen said. "They stayed in the water to make sure she stayed alive. I am certain that without their efforts, she wouldn't have made it."

Webbed paws help

Coyne said he noticed during his visit that the dog, who is big for her age, has webbed paws, and he suspects they may have helped her navigate the chilly, choppy bay waters.

"She's a very fine dog," he said. "I don't know how she ended up in the middle of the bay. That will probably always be a mystery."