Mutterway madness
SUNDAY MIRROR Rugby star Ben’s 4-day search for dog after it jumps from car window
ENGLAND rugby star Ben Foden has told how he watched in horror as his puppy fell out of his car window on a motorway.
The drama triggered a four-day search involving police and volunteers with drones and thermal sensors when the scared dog disappeared after miraculously dodging speeding cars.
Ben had wound down a rear window about eight inches before he set off down the M6 near Rugby because the Hungarian Vizsla Jonah was panting in the back.
“I was looking back to see what he was up to and all I saw was his rear end hanging from the window,” said the 31-year-old Northampton Saints full back.
“I braked hard as hell [and he] fell out. He rolled on to the central reservation and I immediately thought the worst.”
Ben, married to 35-year-old Saturdays singer Una Healey, pulled up on the hard shoulder and raced back to look for his pet, certain he would find him dead.
But Jonah had vanished. Ben then called police who sent out a traffic officer.
“I had to give up looking when it turned dark,” says the star. “I’d heard reports Jonah was spotted looking quite badly injured about an hour and a half after escaping. I went home feeling very low.”
The player had been travelling to Cheshire on December 29 to see family while Una and their two children were in Ireland. He contacted Anita Twigger of Pawprints Dog Rescue in Rugby who launched a search party.
A team of 30 volunteers spent the next four days searching the area on foot, even using drones and t thermal sensors.
I saw his rear end hanging out the window. I braked and he fell out BEN FODEN ON HIS MOTORWAY PUPPY DRAMA
PRAISE
Finally Jonah was found lastl Monday, shaken up, cold, hungry and hiding out ini a construction yard. He wasw checked over at the vet’s and found to have only a few scratches. Ben, who named t the pup after the late All B Black rugby legend Jonah Lomu, took to Instagram to praise the search party’s valiant efforts.
“I can’t thank everyone enough who gave up their time to help search for Jonah,” he posted. “Everyone at Pawprints deserve medals. Thank you, thank you, thank you from me and the dog of steel Jonah.”