Latest news with #missingdog
The Guardian
7 days ago
- The Guardian
Posters, scented items and drones: Highland hunt for teenager's missing therapy dog
Walking along Nevis Gorge, the rumble of Steall Falls can be heard long before you see it. Rocky terrain clears to expansive grassland, forest and shrubbery. Among Glen Nevis's lush greenery, flashes of bright red paper can be seen. It is not litter left by tourists who have trekked to this beauty spot, but missing posters handed out by the family of Louie, a two-year-old golden retriever who has been missing for a fortnight. The breathtaking scenery is no longer noticed by Louie's owner, Louise Manson, and her two daughters Ellie and Lara. They have have been coming daily, sometimes several times a day, to search for their beloved dog. Louie has been on walks here regularly but on the day of his disappearance, Louise says he got spooked. 'We got to the top of the gorge and a family were there and the rain was pounding. You couldn't hear very much between the rain and the waterfall. 'The family was coming towards the car park and they had a toddler there screaming. I don't know if he got a scent of a deer but we looked down [at the lead and collar] and he was gone. 'My senses were in overdrive, for a dog it might have been a bit too much.' Louie's disappearance has been particularly difficult for 17-year-old Ellie as he provides support as a therapy dog for the teenager. Ellie has epilepsy and while Louie was originally brought into the family as a companion for her, he started to alert family members when Ellie was about to have a seizure. 'If I have a seizure he will lie in my bed across my chest or on my stomach to let me know that he's there. He'll alert someone if anything's going to happen, he can sense it. He will bang around to get anyone's attention,' she says. 'It's hard. It's odd walking into the house and he's not there.' Ellie hasn't been able to face coming to many of the searches for Louie, 'I can't really deal with the disappointment of not finding him,' she said. Louise, and Ellie's 12-year-old sister, Lara, have been doing most of the searching with help from the local community. 'If I'm not out searching I'm at home researching what I need and what to do and talking to people. People have been so generous lending us equipment. Honestly, I don't think I would have gotten through it without anybody's help.' Word has travelled around Steall Falls as while they are out searching, a walker approaches Louise to ask if she is 'Louie's mum'; she has heard the story and wants to extend her sympathy. The support has been overwhelming, she says. 'I put one post on Facebook the night he went missing and by the time I came back up here there were locals already out looking for him. Since then it's just grown.' Many of the posters stuck to trees around the area were new to Louise. She said a neighbour had been out putting them up. Volunteers have also been out searching with drones but have so far notfound anything. Another volunteer has also offered a thermal drone to try to find Louie over the weekend. It's not an easy route to search. Much of the path involves climbing over rocky terrain and the occasional trickles of water from the mountain above to the gorge below. To get to the bottom of Steall Falls, the family either wade through the shallow river or walk the tightrope chain-bridge hoping Louie will be able to pick up their scent. They were starting to lose hope after a week and a half of no sightings but last weekend a sniffer dog picked up his scent after smelling Louie's blanket. Hopes have been raised further as searchers heard barking on early Thursday morning echoing through the valley. 'I think he's gone into survival mode,' Louise says, 'When he realised nobody was here he's taken off and started fending for himself … until he gets my scent he won't come anywhere near me. Once he gets my scent and he comes closer to me apparently he will just snap out of it.' Armed with dirty clothes covered with her scent, Louise is planning to camp out at Glen Nevis this weekend close to where Louie went missing to try to lure him back. 'He's got to be somewhere,' she says. 'When he turns up it'll be amazing.'
BBC News
10-06-2025
- BBC News
Urgent search in Highlands for teenager's missing support dog
An urgent search is being carried out to find a teenager's support dog who has been missing in the Highlands for two a two-year-old golden retriever, is trained to let 17-year-old Ellie Lynn's family know when she is about to have an epileptic he went missing on the path to Steall Falls in Glen Nevis after slipping his mum, Louise Manson, 41, from Fort William, said the family have been leaving food and dirty clothes out on the route in the hope he will catch the scent. They have also camped in the area and had barbecues. Groups of locals and visiting walkers have been searching for him and wildlife cameras are being installed to see if they can spot family's hopes were raised at the weekend when a tracker dog picked up his scent after first smelling Louie's blanket. Louise told BBC News: "The dog smelled some of Louie's blanket and tracked him for a while - it must have been recent because the rain has been horrendous."It gives us a lot of hope that he's still alive. People have also been hearing barking."She said that when Louie went missing it was raining and the path was very narrow."A family were passing us, the kids were upset, the rain was pouring and Louie slipped his lead," she said."We looked down and he was literally gone. We don't know what happened to him."The family checked the river and scanned the area, going in different directions, but there was no sign of Louie."We went home, told our children, put a post on Facebook and before we knew it there were locals up here helping us search," Louise said."Louie is so friendly and bubbly. He's like one of the kids. He just sits on your knee, cuddles into you when you're watching TV. If you're not well he's always resting his head on your chest - he doesn't leave your side."If Ellie is home alone and feeling insecure he's by her side. If she's building up to a seizure he can somehow sense it and alerts us so we know what we're looking for and know if its going to develop."He's pretty amazing." Louise said it had been a real struggle for the family since he went missing."It's been really difficult," she said. "But the help has been amazing, phenomenal."He's got to be somewhere. I've heard of dogs appearing five years later, five months later."He's a member of the family. He sits at the table with us when we have dinner. He's definitely special."She added: "Ellie's lost without him."Ellie said: "He's really important because he helps me with my epilepsy. He doesn't really bark but he tries to make people notice something's wrong and takes them to where I am. Then he comes and lies on my chest or stomach."He's very friendly, happy and cuddly. He sits on your knee and everything. He doesn't really leave you alone."I miss him a lot. It's weird without him around the house."
CNN
03-06-2025
- General
- CNN
Lost dog returns home after swimming to island in 100-mile trip
A dog who went missing for more than a month and covered about 100 miles - including a mile-long swim - has finally been returned to her foster home after being rescued at sea. Five-year-old Amber bolted in late April, a day after arriving in London from Qatar, where she was rescued from the streets. Sam Collins, co-founder of not-for-profit KS Rescue Angels, told CNN Tuesday that Amber was transferred to an experienced foster family in England's southern New Forest region on April 25. The following morning, Amber escaped from the family's garden, despite the fact they had 8-foot fences surrounding their property. News of Amber's escape was posted on social media and around the local area. Numerous sightings were reported and pictures and video clips sent to the rescue service, which enabled them to map Amber's movements. 'Within the first three weeks she was probably only travelling around 10 miles from where she had gone missing but in different directions,' said Collins. Pictures and video clips that they received enabled KS Rescue Angels to set up cameras and feeding stations. 'We were doing this for three or four weeks and we always seemed to be one step behind her. Then it all went dark around the four-week mark and we stopped getting any reliable sightings.' Collins believes this was probably when Amber travelled 30 miles to the coastal town of Poole. Locals had reported sightings there of a stray dog but it was too far away for anyone to make the connection. Incredibly, Amber managed to swim a mile from the town's affluent neighbourhood of Sandbanks to Brownsea Island. Managed by the National Trust, Brownsea is a wildlife haven where dogs are not usually welcome. 'She spent three days there and there was a search party from the National Trust, as well as a lady who lived there who put food out for her every night. She probably got spooked by all the people trying to catch her so she tried to swim back to Sandbanks but got into trouble when she got caught in the currents and tide,' Collins said. Fortunately, however, Amber was spotted by a passing boat. 'She swam to the boat and actually hooked her paws around the ladder on the side,' said Collins. 'They couldn't pull her up because she had actually hooked her paws so tightly, so one of the lads jumped in the water to get in from behind her and push her into the boat.' Back on dry land, news of the amazing recovery circulated on social media - and eventually reached Collins who recognized Amber from a scar on her nose. Once she was collected, Amber was checked over by a vet who found she had lost weight but was otherwise well. She is now back with the foster family. 'She's been very tired but very snuggly,' said Collins. 'She's got a couple of bruises where she's probably caught herself on barbed wire, thorn bushes or something, but other than that she's in remarkable condition considering. 'She's being kept on at least two, possibly three leads at any time in the garden. The foster home is terrified of her getting out again.' Collins said Amber likely covered about 100 miles during her extended walkies. Amber will remain with the family for at least a couple of weeks, after which KS Rescue Angels hope she will be rehomed. 'The story has blown up so we've had quite a lot of interest from people wanting to adopt her,' said Collins, adding that extensive checks must be carried out. 'We need to make sure that whoever she goes to gives her a five-star home and understands that she's a flight risk.'
CNN
03-06-2025
- General
- CNN
Lost dog returns home after swimming to island in 100-mile trip
A dog who went missing for more than a month and covered about 100 miles - including a mile-long swim - has finally been returned to her foster home after being rescued at sea. Five-year-old Amber bolted in late April, a day after arriving in London from Qatar, where she was rescued from the streets. Sam Collins, co-founder of not-for-profit KS Rescue Angels, told CNN Tuesday that Amber was transferred to an experienced foster family in England's southern New Forest region on April 25. The following morning, Amber escaped from the family's garden, despite the fact they had 8-foot fences surrounding their property. News of Amber's escape was posted on social media and around the local area. Numerous sightings were reported and pictures and video clips sent to the rescue service, which enabled them to map Amber's movements. 'Within the first three weeks she was probably only travelling around 10 miles from where she had gone missing but in different directions,' said Collins. Pictures and video clips that they received enabled KS Rescue Angels to set up cameras and feeding stations. 'We were doing this for three or four weeks and we always seemed to be one step behind her. Then it all went dark around the four-week mark and we stopped getting any reliable sightings.' Collins believes this was probably when Amber travelled 30 miles to the coastal town of Poole. Locals had reported sightings there of a stray dog but it was too far away for anyone to make the connection. Incredibly, Amber managed to swim a mile from the town's affluent neighbourhood of Sandbanks to Brownsea Island. Managed by the National Trust, Brownsea is a wildlife haven where dogs are not usually welcome. 'She spent three days there and there was a search party from the National Trust, as well as a lady who lived there who put food out for her every night. She probably got spooked by all the people trying to catch her so she tried to swim back to Sandbanks but got into trouble when she got caught in the currents and tide,' Collins said. Fortunately, however, Amber was spotted by a passing boat. 'She swam to the boat and actually hooked her paws around the ladder on the side,' said Collins. 'They couldn't pull her up because she had actually hooked her paws so tightly, so one of the lads jumped in the water to get in from behind her and push her into the boat.' Back on dry land, news of the amazing recovery circulated on social media - and eventually reached Collins who recognized Amber from a scar on her nose. Once she was collected, Amber was checked over by a vet who found she had lost weight but was otherwise well. She is now back with the foster family. 'She's been very tired but very snuggly,' said Collins. 'She's got a couple of bruises where she's probably caught herself on barbed wire, thorn bushes or something, but other than that she's in remarkable condition considering. 'She's being kept on at least two, possibly three leads at any time in the garden. The foster home is terrified of her getting out again.' Collins said Amber likely covered about 100 miles during her extended walkies. Amber will remain with the family for at least a couple of weeks, after which KS Rescue Angels hope she will be rehomed. 'The story has blown up so we've had quite a lot of interest from people wanting to adopt her,' said Collins, adding that extensive checks must be carried out. 'We need to make sure that whoever she goes to gives her a five-star home and understands that she's a flight risk.'
The Guardian
03-06-2025
- General
- The Guardian
‘What a girl!' Lost dog returns after swimming to island on 100-mile journey
An adventurous dog who went missing for 36 days and covered about 100 miles has returned from her extended walkies, after being rescued by a charity. Amber, a retriever cross, had been rescued as a street puppy in Qatar by a charity and moved to the UK but went missing after only one night with her new foster family near Bramshaw, in the New Forest. The dog went missing on 25 April, and for the next 36 days went on an adventure across Hampshire and Dorset, even swimming to an island, before she was rescued. Kelly Parker, who set up KS Angels Rescue, said the dog had entered a 'wild mindset' until Saturday's rescue. 'We had a lot of well-meaning people and they really did try to help,' she said. 'Unfortunately with a dog that is scared and has entered that wild mindset, with any people, she would have run.' Every time the wanderer was spotted, she had covered another five or six miles (8km/9.6km), said Parker. 'It's been frustrating, we've felt like we were always behind her. It's definitely been an experience I would rather not have again – but a happy ending.' Parker said she hoped adventurous Amber would have a 'calmer, more stable spirit' in future. The charity said Amber had apparently swum to Brownsea Island, where she was fed by a resident, but had left again after a few days. She was spotted by two men in a boat in Poole Harbour and they rescued her before alerting Lost Dog Recovery, which was part of the search party looking for her. The family who had been fostering Amber said her travels had given them an anxious few weeks. Jess Wadsworth said the dog was in a remarkably good condition, given the length of her trip. 'I still can't quite believe [Amber is back],' she said. 'We've lost a pet dog for two or three days. You think in those terms. I have never known a dog that travels that many miles and survives. 'She's already in really good nick compared to how long she had gone for. What a girl!'
