When his pet dog Gracie went missing in bleak weather in the Peak District, her owner called in specialist search teams and drones to find her. But while the experts could find no sign of the eight-year-old black labrador, a heroic little pooch came to the rescue.
Cocker collie cross Lottie sniffed out Gracie at the bottom of a five-metre hole, where the human search party would never have found her. Gracie had been on a walk on marshland near Kinder Scout when owner Guy Beggs, 41, lost sight of her during poor weather conditions. The dog had plunged down a hidden pothole just yards from the track they were walking along. In desperation, Guy put out an appeal on social media, which sparked a full-scale search and rescue mission involving helpers from as far as Manchester, Bolton and Leeds.
Despite searching late into the night there was no sign of Gracie.
Teacher Susan Jones was camping nearby with friend Lynn Baker when they heard about the search. Despite rapidly deteriorating weather conditions, they joined the hunt, which now also included specialised canine search teams.
But it was Susan’s pet Lottie who turned out to be the hero. Susan said: "The weather was terrible, and we were thinking, '"How long can we keep going, how long can we do this' Lottie started prowling towards some bushes and she was going really slowly, then she stuck her head in the bush and wouldn't come back. I walked over, pulled the heather apart and there was a massive hole."
When Susan and Lynn looked into the hole, they saw movement. Susan added: "There were two little eyes looking up at me. It was the missing dog."
Guy and another volunteer abseiled into the hole using a makeshift rope made of dog leads and lifted Gracie to safety after more than 23 hours.
Dad-of-one Guy, from Warrington, Cheshire, said: "When we found her, I got so emotional I broke down in tears, I was just so relieved. I can't thank them enough."
Susan said: "Had Lottie been there the night before we would have found her, I think. Nobody could find her, the drones could not find her, no people would have known that hole was there."
Hollywood icon Russell Crowe has backed a campaign to save a pet bird who shares his name.
The Gladiator star donated £500 to help Helen Motteram pay for medical treatment for her rook.
The six-year-old bird, who Helen calls Russell Crow, first gained international attention in 2017 when the actor heard about Helen's care for the disabled creature and tweeted his appreciation.
His latest support came last month, when Helen, from Cheltenham, launched an online appeal to raise money for an operation on her feathered friend’s infected eye.
PET PIC
It’s a Happy New Year in a new home for these three adorable pooches.
The trio of dachshunds aged four, 10 and 14 were handed into the care of Blue Cross in Burford in November, after their owner passed away.
One of her last wishes was for her beloved pets to stay together after she had gone. The dogs were initially cared for in a foster home and just before Christmas the charity were delighted to find them a forever home that would take all three.
CATS CORNER
Top tips for you and your cat, with answers and advice from our friends at Cats Protection.
My cat has a small open wound from what looks like a cat fight. What can I use to treat it myself at home?
Any wound or injury a cat sustains should be seen by a vet. Although the wound might look small, there’s a chance, especially if caused by a cat fight, that it could become infected or that parts of the wound may be hidden by fur and it could be more extensive than it appears.
A vet will give your cat a thorough examination and be able to assess and treat the wound, and prescribe medication if needed. We’d recommend ensuring you have pet insurance in place to help with any unforeseen costs when accidents like this occur.
Find out more: www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/health
- Sarah Merrett, Central Veterinary Officer
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