Dingwall family delighted to get dog back after six days on the run
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A family has thanked the community for rallying round to help in a six-day battle to reunite them with their beloved family pet.
Ben Lightley (27) was on holiday in England when he got the news that six-year-old collie Buddy had escaped from kennels near their Dingwall home.
It is believed the Houdini-wannabe scaled a seven-foot fence and Mr Lightley said he didn’t blame the kennels at all.
“We use an excellent kennels and we use them because they are so safety conscious, and they have a seven-foot fence with an inverted top so that dogs cannot escape,” he said. “But Buddy still managed it! He is very good at jumping fences and escaping.
“Accidents can happen, and that is what this is, an accident.
“When I got the phone call about him being missing, I thought he would be doing as he always does and making his way to my mother-in-law’s in Dingwall where she has two female dogs,” he said. “But Buddy remained missing.”
A team of volunteers helped search for Buddy, using thermal imaging cameras and drones and even setting traps for him as well as laying scent trails.
The first real lead was a text to suggest he could be around Moy Bridge area, near Marybank.
“When one man phoned and I asked what colour his collar was he said ‘black and white’ and I thought it wasn’t him,” Mr Lightley said. “But the man then said ‘oh no, his collar is grey’ and I knew then that it was Buddy. He managed to get him into his car at Urray Church.
“We took him to the vet, and he was fine although he was covered in ticks, and needed a good bath. I can’t thank everyone enough for helping us find Buddy, it was very stressful but nobody ever gave up hope.”
