Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Rescued dog Alana home safe and well
AN anxious rottweiler has been rescued from Balgay Park by a specialist team after 16 days on the run.
Alana, who was brought to Dundee after being a stray in Spain, escaped from her foster family on Christmas Day when she was taken outside to toilet.
The flighty dog then spent more than a fortnight on the run, with her anxious nature causing her to flee whenever would-be rescuers came close.
The rescue team, known as the Canine Catchers, travelled from England and spent two nights assisting with the rescue.
They spent their first night in Dundee using thermal imaging cameras to track the family pet, before using a tranquillizer dart to put her to sleep and safely recover her on the second night.
After being taken to a vet for a check-up, the nervy dog was taken back home to new owner Emma Gray.
Dr Kaye Walker, director of the Canine Catchers, said: “When we got to Dundee it was -7 degrees, which was obviously quite uncomfortable for both the team and Alana.
“Our biggest problem was that we had a lot of well-meaning people who wanted to help but didn’t know how.
“The first night we tried to do some thermal imaging to learn what her behaviour was, but because there were a lot of people sitting around the park we didn’t learn much.
“The second night the place was a lot more clean and her behaviour was a lot more relaxed, so by 7.45pm we were able to do what we hoped and within half an hour she was at the vet.”
Jessica Probst, who originally sponsored Alana’s journey to Dundee, gave the dog to the family of a friend.
She said: “I’m a dog behaviourist so I get a lot of difficult cases, and I soon realised that this one was not going to be easy.
“Alana lived on the streets of Spain, so she has a lot of issues with trusting people.
“She actually got away on Christmas Day, they were taking her out to pee and she tried to run back inside the house because she didn’t feel safe, but someone got in her way and she ended up running off, it diverted her.”
Emma said: “We are over the moon to have Alana home safely and grateful to everyone who has helped to bring her home safely.
“Now she’s back she’s started to bond with us again.
“After so long out in the cold she is loving her food and long naps in a cosy bed.”