A dog owner who posted a Facebook appeal after her pet went missing on his walk has been reunited with him – thanks to 50 strangers who joined the search.
Sarah Mitchell, 44, took her dog Ben to her family’s house for Christmas but he ran off after getting spooked during an evening walk.
The three-and-a-half-year-old Welsh corgi miniature poodle cross dashed across a road and was hit by a car before running off again during his walk on December 27.
Sarah and some family members spent five hours looking for the small dog but could not find him.
In desperation, Sarah posted a Facebook appeal asking people to look out for Ben but she was stunned when hours later more than 50 volunteers turned up at the park to help her search for her beloved pet.
Ben was eventually found lying shivering under a bush in a woman’s front garden in Blaby, Leics.
On the morning of Friday December 30, Sarah was relieved to receive a phone call saying Ben had been found and identified by his micro-chip.
Sarah, of Shrewsbury, Shrops., said: “I was just trembling and crying.
“Volunteers from everywhere came. I am so grateful to people who do not know me or Ben, giving up their time to help.
“Because Ben does not know the area, we had no idea where to find him.
“It was difficult to know if he was still alive.
“The woman who found Ben took him to a local vet. He was identified by his microchip and I went straight round.
“Ben was very pleased. He jumped into my arms.
“He was covered in fox poo and dirty, he was very very tired, hungry, and smelly, but I was surprised how well he was considering.
“He has been checked over by the vet, apart from the pads in his paws being sore, he is fine.
“So many people have been helping. I am so so grateful, I can’t thank them enough – and obviously also the lady who found him.”
Sarah had put a message on the Facebook page ‘Dog Tag’ when she failed to find Ben to ask if anyone had seen him.
She said: “People who I did not know were saying they were coming out to help.
“Some were from Dog Tag, and a few other people posted it on other sites, like lost and found.”
“I did not expect it to be as overwhelming as it was.”
