Sheffield grandad issues heartfelt plea for the return of missing family dog
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Paul Williams, age 67, said his dog, named Hesther, disappeared on June 6 while the two were taking a walk through Ridgeway and the dog ran off chasing after a scent.
The eight-year-old female Doberman has a 'high prey drive', said Paul, adding that she would chase after cats, rabbits or squirrels but would normally come back in response to a whistle.
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Hide AdHe said: “We were coming back from a walk and she got a scent and chased the scent wherever it was leading. I whistled at her and she ignored me and carried on out of sight.
“It was five minutes, 10 minutes, half an hour, then I carried on walking down where she went missing. She just disappeared.
And then half an hour later I went home, thinking she might try to find her way home. She knew all the paths we used and she was very familiar with them, but that was it. The rest is history.”
He said since Hesther went missing, he and his family have reached out for help through social media and volunteer groups such as K9-SAR and Dog Lost.
‘It’s the darkest place I’ve ever been’
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Hide AdHe has also been pursuing definite and possible sightings of Hesther from Gleadless to Clowne in Derbyshire, based on tip-offs he received.
Paul added: “Hesther's stomping ground is Moss Valley and she knows every track. We tried to inform all the farmers in the area as she needs water, food and shelter.
“She may be confused now as she may be in survival mode which means now everybody is a potential threat to her so it may be very hard to approach.”
He said even though Hesther has been missing for 16 days, Paul said he will not lose hope of finding her.
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Hide AdHe said: “It's the darkest place I've ever been in my life. We have got a strong family and we are sticking together to get her back. I've got to get up and chase these rainbows down. We can't stop searching.”