Good News Story - Missing Dog Found 1000ks Away

[j]

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/missing-puppy-found-more-than-1000km-from-home-20130508-2j6mr.html

Missing puppy found more than 1000km from home

A Canberra family have been reunited with their missing puppy after a social media campaign located the hound more than 1000km away from their Isabella Plains home.

Five-month-old Thor had been missing for more than a week before turning up at an Ipswich animal centre, owner Heath Morrison said.

“We were working in the garage at home and had the roller door up,” he said of the April 21 disappearance.

From Isabella Plains in the ACT to Ipswich in Queensland, Thor went on quite an adventure.

“The angle grinder scared him off, so he went out in the street where someone picked him up… They basically drove back to Queensland with him.”

Advertisement Mr Morrison said they were particularly concerned about their Staffordshire bull terrier pup, which needs regular acupuncture treatment for nerve damage to his rear legs.

The family launched a social media campaign to find Thor, posting messages and photos on Facebook.

“We thought we’d do what we could to get him back,” he said.

“We posted a lost poster on Facebook, it went to 8000 people sharing it.”

The family’s hard work paid off when a friend of the person who initially took Thor noticed the post online, and got in touch with the Morrisons last week.

While it was only a small clue, Mr Morrison said the tip put the family on the path to finding their pup.

“About 30 seconds later, we were on the phone to the RSPCA,” he said.

Numerous phone calls eventually led the family to the Ipswich Animal Management and Rehoming Centre, where Thor had been staying.

Mr Morrison said although tracking their puppy down took little more than luck, transporting him home proved far more costly.

“My free dog turned into a $1500 dog,” he said.

“But price was irrelevant.”

Mr Morrison said Thor has been at home for four days, during which time he’s received undivided attention from his sons, 11-year-old Blake and nine-year-old Brenton.

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/missing-puppy-found-more-than-1000km-from-home-20130508-2j6mr.html#ixzz2SfGUw8jg

[Loving my Oldies]

Yeah. Change "picked him up" to "hey that's a pretty cute dog." Yes, I'm cynical and I reckon the pup was surrendered because after the social media campaign he became too hot to handle.

[Sandra777]

$1500 from Ipswich to Canberra - did he have a private jet?

[Salukifan]

$1500 from Ipswich to Canberra - did he have a private jet?

Don't know but I sure hope it encourages him to keep his dog secured in the yard in future.

[BlackJaq]

Maybe a chip could have reunited them a little faster?

[BlackJaq]

Yeah. Change "picked him up" to "hey that's a pretty cute dog." Yes, I'm cynical and I reckon the pup was surrendered because after the social media campaign he became too hot to handle.

I have to admit, this sounds kind of likely to me, too, especially since they were basically dobbed in by friends.... Who picks up a dog and then drives a thousand k's before taking it to a pound or RSPCA shelter :p

Still hoping they will chip the dog now

[Panto]

$1500 from Ipswich to Canberra - did he have a private jet?

maybe the parents (or even the whole family) flew up to get him and accompany him back...

[shirra]

Maybe a chip could have reunited them a little faster?

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought microchips were only registered in that State's database, and thus not useful in another state?

[tdierikx]

You'd think that a chip found, but with no detail on the current state's database, would prompt a quick lookup on the website that checks multiple databases - then all that is needed is a call to that register saying you are with a pound and need to have the owners contact about their dog...

We had a rehomed rescue of our end up in a QLD pound, and they had managed to track him back to us and gave us a call - no probs organising his transport back to us either... and it certainly didn't cost $1500.

T.

[Steve]

Maybe a chip could have reunited them a little faster?

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought microchips were only registered in that State's database, and thus not useful in another state?

Apparently thats only in NSW

[Crisovar]

Unless things have changed recently, the NSW local government companion animals registry does not share information. Many owners are caught out when they move from NSW to another state not realising that the registry is not a national one.