Shelter ensures lost dog has its day

A dog that was saved from death row by a rescue shelter in Collingham has been reunited with its owners two years after it went missing.

Baloo, as the shelter called him, a cross-bred mastiff, was in a council-run dog pound in the Manchester area when it was seen by Happy Endings, a group that tries to rescue dogs that are not rehomed or claimed, and are normally only given a week or so before they are destroyed.

Mrs Val Hosegood, the owner of Halfway Home Dog Rescue at Collingham, was contacted by the group and offered to give Baloo a home.

The dog was found in Manchester in December 2011.

Mrs Hosegood said: “He was a lovely dog and although his skin was in poor condition, his body was in good shape.”

While Baloo was being checked they discovered he had been microchipped.

Further investigation revealed he had been registered as missing and Mrs Hosegood was able to contact his owners, Jason and Sarah Donovan and daughter Chloe, 10, in Manchester.

Mr Donovan said the dog, now back with his orginal name, Buster, was stolen from their backyard in 2010 when he was three.

He said they had the dog as a puppy and he was an important part of the family.

Mr Donovan said they spent a year searching for Buster.

He said they contacted all the local dogs’ homes, the police, and spoke to dog wardens without success.

“There was just no sign of him and we had no idea what had happened,” he said.

“We had always hoped we might one day get him back but it did cross our minds that he might be dead.”

Mr Donovan said the call from the Collingham dog rescue centre came out of the blue.

He said they made the three-hour trip from their home to the centre the next day and recognised Buster immediately.

“He was a little bit more grey around the face than I remember but he was in good shape and recognised us straight away,” said Mr Donovan.

“He’s been spoiled rotten since he has been home.”

Mr Donovan said he was extremely grateful to the centre. He doubted they would have got him back without it.

Mrs Hosegood said cases like Buster made the work at the centre worthwhile.

“It’s lovely that we have had a happy ending,” she said.

The centre is holding an open day and dog show on May 6 to raise money towards its running costs.