February 25, 2014
For something different this story was written by Gem a 15 year old deaf labrador that went missing while out on a walk with her owners!
Hi,
I am Gem. I am nearly 15 and live in Widecombe-in-the-moor, on Dartmoor. My family are very good to me but I want to tell you about the exciting holiday I had without them.
Although I often dream of running, I have never actually gone away on my own before and really had not made any plans to do so. However on the 9th Jan 2014 it was just such a beautiful day and I took my owner somewhere different, up to Rippon Tor. There were lots of exciting smells, which my owner shows no interest in, and I forgot to keep an eye on her and my 7 year old puppy in the high gorse and tussocky grass and next minute they were both gone.
They told me they looked for me for ages. In fact there was someone out looking at some time for the next 2 days, but as people don’t talk dog, how can you tell if that’s true? My puppy Amber said it was on facebook and lots of people were asking to help. Their soulful little eyes and the cute shouting that they do. I think I even saw groups of them out with torches in the dark. I would have gone to look but it was frosty and cold and I had found such a cosy hidey hole for the two nights I was out, so I stayed where I was.
Eventually, 2 days later they called in the Beagle squad and the handsome Tiga came looking for me. He quickly got a whiff of my “Eau de whatever I can roll in”, and followed the exciting journey which I had started, whilst looking for my lost family. He followed me back down Rippon Tor, past the photos on the gate of me, up over Saddle Tor and on to Haytor. I led him a merry dance there as he searched the car park with all the exciting smells of ice cream from the van and people’s dropped sandwiches. There was nothing left by the time I had finished though! He also found my hidy hole.
I was tiring of eating my “Eau de whatever I can roll in” by then, you see!
And then I gave them all the slip as they decided to give up in the cold and the dark, whilst I walked down to the nice ladies house at Bagtor.
Although, she was not so keen on my scent, (can’t imagine why as Tiga liked it), she let me in. And within a short time a lot of tired people came to collect me, took me home and gave me a nice warm bath, and gave me my tablets that I hadn’t had for the last few days and a nice meal.
I think I have them fooled again, because I still ask for lifts to get up into the car and pretend sometimes that I am really an old lady and couldn’t possibly go out for such long walks. I have noticed they don’t take me so much to foreign parts anymore though in case they lose me. I am really grateful to all the lovely people who played a part in trying to find me. Its such a shame that I never met that lovely beagle Tiga and his owner Jenny.
They were so close and they were so good at playing such a clever tracking game.
As you can see from the picture I am planning my next holiday on the beach, (Don’t tell my owners) which will be a bit warmer. I really hope this time to meet Tiga there…..They just don’t understand that there’s life in the old dog yet!
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Tiga and Yogi's diets are supplemented by Phytoforce Veterinary Herbal Tonics provided by Phytoforce.
Galen Myotherapy
Tiga and Yogi are kept in peak condition by the team at Galen Therapy Centre. The centre was established in 2002; They specialise in treating dogs with chronic muscular pain; enabling enhanced mobility and health. It also has been in the forefront of interpreting how behaviour and muscle pain manifest in our dogs.
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Joss Harwood
February 27, 2014
Hi Jenny
What a great job you and the talented Tiga are doing – 51 dogs reunited! You need more publicity girl; that’s amazing.
Keep up the good work,
Joss harwood