Search for beloved pet
Family dog Sydney spooked by fireworks
She’s the friendliest dog . . . she’s old and enjoys sleeping in the sun all day. She just wants to see out her years in peace. Chris Alty
Sydney, a beloved elderly golden labrador, would have been enjoying her sleep on a warm evening in early March. The 14-year-old was in her kennel on Chris and Mark Alty’s Winara Ave property in Waikanae.
Normally she would be in the house overnight, but during the warmer months, she prefers staying outside.
The property was fully fenced and gated, so the Altys had no concerns about her wandering off.
But around 9.30pm on Saturday, March 9, someone along the street decided to let off fireworks.
Over about 20-30 minutes, the sound of fireworks disrupted the still of the night — and petrified Sydney — leading her, despite her advanced age, to jump a fence and disappear into the night.
“The worst thing is we didn’t realise she was missing until the next morning when she wasn’t there,” Chris said.
The couple, friends and members of the community have been searching for Sydney, with countless flyers distributed and social media pages canvassed.
“It’s about thinking of as many ways as possible to get her picture out there.”
They’ve also been working with Nelson-based dog tracking specialist Don Schwass, who has given advice.
“He looked at where the fireworks were, our address, wind direction, and all sorts of stuff.”
The couple have been searching twice a day, two hours after sunrise and two hours after sunset, when Sydney could be most active.
“He [Schwass] still believes there’s a good chance that she’s alive.
“It’s about waiting for someone to get a sighting of her . . . I don’t feel like we can be doing any more than what we’re doing.”
Adding to the frustration is the fact Chris tripped and fell while out searching, which led to surgery in hospital to fix a broken left wrist.
Loud noises have led to Sydney fleeing before; once in her younger years while living on a farm in Invercargill when there was a gunshot, and early in the evening on New Year’s Eve in Waikanae, when she heard fireworks in the distance.
“Luckily, we found her quickly. Someone looked after her overnight before Kāpiti Coast District Council contacted us. She was about 4km away.”
Chris hoped a volley of fireworks the other night didn’t add to Sydney’s distress.
“Everyone you talk to doesn’t have a good word to say about private fireworks and being able to let them off at any time.
“You wonder if more couldn’t be done to prevent the sale of fireworks to the public.
“It’s one dog that has gone missing, but it’s a bigger problem because it affects a lot of other people and their animals.”
The family aren’t giving up on finding Sydney.
“She’s the friendliest dog . . . she’s old and enjoys sleeping in the sun all day. She just wants to see out her years in peace.”