A dog missing for a week after escaping from kennels, has been reunited with his family after a huge effort by teams of volunteers.
Jackie Myers was on a four-day holiday in Blackpool when her Cocker mix, Jude ran away from a boarding facility in Co Antrim.
He had already been missing for three days by the time she learned he had broken out, and as she made desperate preparations to return from England, her calls for help back home triggered a mass search by friends, family and strangers.
Read more: Dog suffering heatstroke stretchered off the Mournes by mountain rescue team
Jackie, 63, who bought Jude seven years ago as a puppy after the death of her family dog, was reunited with the little spaniel shortly before midnight on Tuesday seven days after he scaled a fence 15 miles from home.
Jackie from Shore Rd, North Belfast, said: “The emotions we’ve gone through in the last few days have been awful. We tried to stay hopeful but hope was fading as the days went on. Jude is used to the comforts of a home and he’d never been on his own before, never mind out in a strange place with no one around, no food or water set down in front of him.
“For the first time in years our whole family had gone on holiday together. It was only for four days but it meant Jude was going to be looked after by someone outside the family.
"I was a bit nervous about it but booked him into a home boarding place in Belfast but it closed quite suddenly and at the last minute I managed to get him into kennels but it was with a heavy heart. I was worried about him from the moment he was dropped off because he’d never been in kennels before.
“It’s been a hard lesson for us as a family, and while I know there must be many kennels out there who are excellent, Jude will never be kennelled again.
"We went away on Monday, July 11, and he vanished on the 12th after being left in an exercise area. But it was the Thursday before I was told he had gone despite me messaging the kennels every day to see how he was.
“The moment we got home we went looking for him but we didn’t know the area. My daughters Karla and Leanne took a tent and camped out to keep looking for Jude and there were a number of sightings of him. The people at Lost Paws NI were fantastic and a dog walker, Claire Walker did everything to help us. Without them we would never have got him back.
“There were leaflet drops, drones put up and ground searches, missing posters and social media was flooded with his photo and we got news of lots of sightings which helped.
“On Tuesday night my grandson Caidon who is nine, went with his mum Ashleigh and their dog Bonnie to the location of a reported sighting from earlier that afternoon and there Jude was.
"As soon as he heard his bestie Bonnie the cockapoo, he ran straight to them and a few hours later he was home with me. It was a very happy reunion and there have been a lot of tears.”
Jude suffered an injury to his paw and some weight loss but a check up with the vet revealed he had suffered no major problems despite his seven day adventure.he has been placed on house rest for his leg and plenty of TLC.
Civil servant Jackie said: “I bought Jude as a tiny puppy after my previous dog died in a horrible incident where a number of dogs in our area were poisoned. My heart was just broken and it was only having Jude that brought me back round from that pain. He is a lovely wee pet. Always happy, tail always wagging, and he’s still as daft as a puppy even though he’s now seven.
“I feel terrible about what happened to him and cannot understand how he could have managed to escape from a kennel business when their only job is to look after dogs in their care. They have paid for the vet bill and they have not charged me for the booking, after all he was only there one night.
“However, whatever happened, it has been a difficult and painful lesson for all of us. We won’t use any kennel ever again because of this experience.
“But we do have a lot of people to thank for their help and care for a wee dog they’d never even met. Hundreds of people kept Jude in their thoughts. St Jude is a patron saint of hopeless causes but thankfully we had our prayers answered.
“I’d say to anyone whose dog is missing, don’t give up. Jude has amazed us with his resilience. He has never spent a day or a night on his own and yet he managed to survive a week alone.
"Andrew and Jenna at Lost Paws NI, Jackie Petrie and SJ Gibson were by our sides every step of the way during a week we’ll never forget. You’re all Jude’s heroes.
“The support and kindness from everyone has just been unbelievable. On behalf of Jude and our family we want to thank everyone who helped us from the bottom of our hearts.”
A spokesman for the kennels Jude was booked refused to comment.
Read next:
To get the latest dog news straight to your inbox, sign up to our free newsletter
