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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Jane Corscadden

Family's nightmare as puppy goes missing after being spooked by fireworks

A Belfast family have been searching for their beloved puppy who ran off after being spooked by fireworks on the Eleventh Night.

Chris Wilson was at the bonfire at Bute Park in Ballybeen, Dundonald, on July 11 when his 11-month old puppy, Ralph, ran off after being spooked by fireworks.

It happened at roughly 11.30pm and the Boxer pup still had his harness and lead on when he went missing.

Read more: Missing man was last seen in Belfast nearly two weeks ago

Chris said there have been no sightings of Ralph since the early hours of the morning on July 12. He said: "It was before the bonfire started, a lad let a firework off and that spooked him.

"He just ran off after he heard the firework, I've never seen him run as fast, so it must have just scared the hell out of him. The last person to see him was a girl at about midnight after he ran off.

"He's run from Bute Park onto the Upper Newtownards Road and in around the carriageway area, that would be the main areas he was last seen. I've searched the whole area about three times, from Dundonald up to Newtownards and as far as Comber.

Ralph is 11 months old (Submitted)

"I haven't been to bed or anything, I've just been out looking for him since it happened. I've been up in the fields and forests looking for him, but it's like he's just disappeared off the face of the earth."

He said the family are "distracted" as they enter the second day of their search for the puppy.

"I'm hoping somebody has him, but there's been no more sightings of him. We had a drone out last night and there's still no sighting.

"Maybe there's an older couple who aren't on Facebook who have him, and they're waiting for the vets to reopen after the 12th to bring him in."

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