Missing dog found after ‘viral’ search
Cavapoo Fudge reunited with couple thanks to hundreds of volunteers
A DOG who went missing on Sunday has been safely reunited with his owners, after a viral social media campaign led to hundreds of volunteers turning up to help search through the night.
Rescue services, the owners and residents spent the night and following morning searching for cavapoo Fudge, who will be turning three next month.
The canine’s owners, Ben Wright, 30, and wife Nadine, 33, thanked everyone for helping find their missing pet.
Fudge disappeared for 25 hours after a walk in the woods in Wickham and was last seen wearing a dog coat the same colour as his fur.
Denmead Drone Search and Rescue (DDSR) posted the appeal to find Fudge which was shared nearly 3,000 times on Facebook.
‘There were literally hundreds and hundreds of people to help look for Fudge, it was just amazing,’ said Nadine.
‘People were making tea and coffee and sandwiches all night.’
The Roebuck Inn in Wickham also offered up its car park for volunteers to use in their search.
‘One gentleman paced through the forest all night for any sightings – because apparently dogs are more likely to turn up in the middle of the night,’ Nadine added.
The couple from Cosham also thanked handler Dave from DDSR, whose trained sniffer dog Woody helped trace Fudge’s scent using his blanket.
Ben and Nadine say without the help of DDSR, Fudge wouldn't have been found.
DDSR founder Antony shared on Facebook: ‘It was amazing to see the local community taking time to help, despite the weather.
‘You should all be so very proud.’
Fudge’s owners say although he normally chases squirrels, he always looks back to see where they are so this was out of character for the typically shy and timid pup.
They believe that because of the weather conditions, Fudge may have been trying to look for shelter and ‘got carried away a bit’.
Nadine said: ‘Fudge hasn’t done this before, and hopefully he won’t do it again – otherwise we will have to get him a GPS collar.’