Missing dogs found after 25 days in Kaweka park
A handful of anxious Department of Conservation search staff, kiwi volunteers and several live capture traps later, two dogs missing in Kaweka Forest Park have finally been found.
DoC said the dogs were found by a member of the public on Castle Range Rd last week. The pair were “alive and well” after spending 25 days lost in the park and were taken to Hastings animal control.
The dogs went missing from Little’s Clearing carpark off Kaweka Rd on July 1 and while the owners spent plenty of time and energy looking for them, their attempts were unsuccessful. Extensive checks of monitored kiwi in the area revealed no deaths or harm to the rare birds.
DoC Ahuriri-Napier acting operations manager Moana Smith-Dunlop said the organisation was keen to recover the dogs as there was major concern for the kiwi population in the area.
“A ground search was sparked after two sets of tracks we believed belonged to the dogs were found on July 13 and again on July 20.”
DoC staff and kiwi volun- teers hiked into Kaweka Forest Park to look for the animals but they had no luck initially.
Smith-Dunlop said part of the operation involved borrowing live-capture traps in case of any sightings.
“These were not deployed as the dogs were found by a member of the public on Castle Range Rd last week.
“To date extensive checks of the monitored kiwi in the area revealed no deaths or harm.”
DoC was grateful to all members of the public who helped search for the dogs and provided useful information which assisted with their recovery. DoC was working with the owner to resolve any outstanding issues.