An injured woman who lost her dog after they were involved in a car crash was reunited with her after a week-long search.
Amanda Baird was travelling on Rosneath Road, Kilcreggan, in her Vauxhall Astra with Willow the spoodle – a cross between a spaniel and a poodle – when her car collided with another.
She suffered a minor spinal fracture but was able to escape the car with her three-year-old pet.
But once outside she collapsed, she recalls, and the dog ran away.
Amanda, who lives in Clydebank, said: “I was lucky because I managed to get out of the car with Willow.
“But then I collapsed, and a couple of the witnesses on the crash site say that it spooked her, and she ran off.
“Usually, Willow is a very sociable animal, but because she was in survival mode the only thing she was caring about was her safety.”
The crash happened on May 22. What followed was a week-long hunt to trace the missing pet with local people rallying to help.
Willow was eventually found by a local man who lives near to the scene of the accident.
And Amanda is so grateful for the Kilcreggan community’s help she has organised drinks at a local pub in Kilcreggan as a thank you.
She added: “The local community were very active in trying to find her.
“The search lasted a week, but then one of the local men who stayed beside that road laid down food to lure her into his house, and that is how we caught her.
“It was a very emotional reunion for myself and Willow, both of us were crying.
“It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life.
“Luckily, I have only ended up with a very minor spinal fracture, but it could have been so much worse. It has been a bit of a rollercoaster between my own injuries alongside trying to get Willow back.
“As a way of thanking the local community, I am organising drinks in the local pub to say thank you.”
A man has been arrested following the collision and is due to appear/has appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Officers were called to a two-vehicle crash on Rosneath Road, Helensburgh at around 9pm on Sunday, 22 May, 2022.
“A 34-year-old man was arrested in connection and will appear at Dumbarton Sheriff Court.”
