Missing dog back after river rescue

The owner of a dog rescued twice from the River Trent is grateful he is home safely.

Mrs Chantell Pegg, 25, of Devon Road, Newark, lost her dog, Buddy, 8, when he escaped from her garden on Saturday.

Despite searching she was unable to find the Labrador-Alsatian cross, so she rang the police to tell them he was missing.

“He’s a big dog and I wanted them to know in case anyone saw him and was frightened,” Mrs Pegg said.

“We went out looking for him but we got a telephone call from the police saying a big black dog was seen going along the A46 towards Farndon.

“I was beside myself because Buddy’s got no road sense and I telephoned my mum in tears because my dog was outside on his own and he had got no food and no water.”

Mrs Pegg went to Farndon to look for Buddy but could not find him.

On Sunday Mrs Pegg received a call from Mr Robert Lench, who said he had found the dog.

Mrs Pegg said: “Mr Lench said he found Buddy swimming in the river. He said he pulled Buddy out but when he got him out, he was confused and spun round and fell back in so he had to pull him out again.”

Mrs Pegg was surprised to be told Buddy was found in the river because she did not think he liked water.

“He’s just not a water dog. I used to take him places so he could go for a swim but he never had. I might try and walk him near water a bit more often now I know he likes it,” she said.

“He had an exciting weekend. I would love to know what he got up to. When he got home all he did was sleep.”

Mrs Pegg said she was grateful to Mr Lench.

“I’m sure if he hadn’t been found he would have succumbed to hypothermia or got tired and just let the water take him,” she said.

“He’s a very lucky dog. He’s obviously got someone up there looking after him.”

Mrs Pegg said she had made sure her garden was completely secure so Buddy could not escape again.

Mr Lench, of Ashford, Kent, works in Mansfield and was spending the weekend on his boat moored at Farndon Marina.

He was in the marina’s Fjellgar bar at about 10.30pm when he went outside and saw Buddy.

Mr Lench said: “I saw a black thing in the water and then he turned towards me and I saw these green eyes. I went down to the edge and whistled him towards me.

“He wasn’t wearing a collar so I grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pulled him out. I stood back so he could shake and he ran round me and fell back in again, so I had to pull him out for a second time.”

Mr Lench, who called the police and was given Mrs Pegg’s number, was pleased he was able to reunite Buddy with his owner.

He said: “He was in really good condition so we knew he wasn’t abandoned just really hungry and thirsty.

“A friend of mine said they had seen him walking in the village and someone else said they had almost run him over at the other end of the village — he had done well to survive crossing the A46.”