Cosmo back after 10 days on run
A 15-year-old Kelpie-dingo cross spent 10 nights alone in the South Australian bush after wandering off during a trip from Melbourne to Darwin.
Cosmo went missing in Glendambo, SA, en route to the Darwin River holiday home where owner Anne O’Dwyer and her friend Karl Brand spend half the year.
“We’d been in the car for hours and he’s busting to go and relieve himself,” Ms O’Dwyer said.
“He’s very polite and he doesn’t do it anywhere near where you are and he’s got confused and just went the wrong way.
“We drove all around the back roads, everywhere we can think of, calling and calling and absolutely no sign of him – he hadn’t done anything like this.”
Ms O’Dwyer and Mr Brand held out hope that Cosmo would return, but after searching for hours they decided to continue north.
But when they arrived at Tennant Creek a few nights later, they received some happy news.
A picture was texted through of him with some food left by tourists who had spotted him in the bush near Kingoonya, about 43km away from where he was last seen.
“I burst into tears and we turned around and went back to get him,” Ms O’Dwyer said.
With another thousand-odd kilometres under their belt, Ms O’Dwyer and Mr Brand arrived in Kingoonya, population 13, only to discover Cosmo had wandered off again.
“We searched Kingoonya and all around it for a couple of days, talked to all the locals, no sign of him – by this stage he’s been gone for a week.
“We thought there’s no way he could survive so we turned around and headed back to Darwin,” Ms O’Dwyer said.
The pair had made it all the way to Adelaide River before they got another update.
“This guy Lenny sends me a text saying we’ve found your dog – so I burst into tears again,” Ms O’Dwyer said.
Mr Brand volunteered to head south again and, despite an initial reluctance to hop in the car, Cosmo was returned safe and sound to an emotional Ms O’Dwyer.
“I burst into tears again – it’s been a teary time,” she said.