By Isle of Wight Observer
A chance meeting with a ‘Trackadog’ volunteer ended with her trusty 11-year-old Barney finding a lost pet – a tortoise called Mavis!
The volunteer, Jane, was unloading her car in Newchurch when she noticed two ladies scanning the hedgerow nearby and they told her they were looking for a lost tortoise called Fennel. A scent item was requested for Fennel, so the owner went home to get one.
By another coincidence, a second lady arrived on the scene, also looking for her lost tortoise, called Mavis, who had last been seen a few hours earlier by a motorist heading up the road near the Garlic Farm.
Based on the sighting, it was decided the odds were that Mavis was nearby, so Jane turned to her retired fully-trained tracking dog, Barney, and took him to get a scent from the tortoise enclosure, and off he went.
Barney tracked through some bushes and clearings and straight to a hedgerow, paused, and gave his indication – Mavis was there, hidden in the undergrowth, safe and sound.
A Trackadog spokesman said: “It was a very determined and precise search, and a successful one, and a brilliant reminder of how powerful a dog’s nose really is. Even in retirement, our dogs still have that drive and instinct. They live for the job.
“We’re so proud of Barney, and grateful for all our volunteers who are always ready to help, no matter the circumstances.”
Jane and Barney have since joined in with Trackadog volunteers to look for Fennel, hoping for another successful result.
