Dog owner reunited with border collie who had been missing in Yorkshire for three months and travelled 40 miles

A dog owner is 'amazed' after being reunited with her border collie after the beloved missing pet spent three months potentially living wild.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Carron Whittaker had travelled from her home in Newcastle to spend last Christmas with her husband's parents in the village of Ripponden, near Halifax - taking with them Gwen and May, sisters from the same litter who were just seven months old at the time.

The couple were unfamilar with the lay-out of her in-laws' new home and a mix-up over doors led to Gwen escaping into the garden on December 27.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Initially expecting Gwen to quickly reappear, they were then forced to hire dog search volunteers to scour the area and chase up sightings, but with little success, and began to fear that Gwen had drowned in a river or been shot by a farmer for worrying sheep.

Carron Whittaker reunited with Gwen (pic: Nicola Mottram)Carron Whittaker reunited with Gwen (pic: Nicola Mottram)
Carron Whittaker reunited with Gwen (pic: Nicola Mottram)

They returned to Newcastle with May, but last weekend received a call to tell them that Gwen had been found by a woman living in a retirement development in Pateley Bridge - over 40 miles from Ripponden.

Although the intrepid collie is likely to have spent some time living wild, Carron believes she may have been kept by somebody, as her name tag had been removed and she still appeared trusting of people.

"I'm still getting used to having her back. She was a little underweight but otherwise fine. We do think she had to fend for herself, as her behaviour is different - she pays more attention to birds so we think she might have had to hunt them. When Myra, the lady who found her in the communal garden of the retirement village, saw her, she was wet and came to her and allowed Myra to dry her off.

Read More
Police seek woman after dogs called Mabel and Parker chased sheep near John of G...
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Dog experts think she will have gone into survival mode, avoiding humans, only coming out at night, and maybe stealing food from bird tables and eating animal dung. Trying to approach her at that point would be like trying to coax a fox inside. Yet she wasn't in survival mode by the time Myra found her, so it's odd.

"We're a bit baffled - could she have been trying to walk home? She was en route north. But we do think it's possible that someone had her and had removed her name tag. It's perplexing and we wish she could talk!"

Gwen's trail was tracked to Sowerby Bridge, the River Ryburn, the local high school, cricket club and eventually Luddenden Foot before it went cold after 29 unverified sightings.

The Whittakers then contacted Mandy Butler, who runs the Lost Dog Trapping Team Search and Rescue Network. Mandy joined a number of local Facebook groups in the relevant areas, and eventually spotted a 'lost dog' post on a selling page in Nidderdale which she thought could be Gwen.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"I could just tell straight away it was her. I feel incredibly blessed."

Gwen's plight has also highlighted the fates of several other missing border collies from around the country - including Bruce, who was swimming in the River Calder at Dixon Scar Woods earlier this month when he was swept downstream while owner Helen Kaye was jogging. Search volunteers scanned a weir at Sowerby Bridge with drones and deployed tracker dogs, who indicated that Bruce had survived and managed to exit the water, but he has not been seen since.

Carron is keen to hear from anyone who may have information about Gwen's whereabouts between December 27 and March 26, and can be contacted on 07754426734.

Helen Kaye can also be contacted on 07779584217 with information about her missing dog Bruce.