Picture of two dogs in woodland by a stream

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR DOG IS MISSING

From Home

From a Walk

* Stay at home
* Leave a door open
* Put smelly food outside
* Your used clothes /their bed just inside
* No strangers searching

* Stay by the car or 'point of loss' if no car
* Run the engine periodically
* Leave treats/food outside

* No strangers searching.

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We want to build awareness of dog-walking danger spots such as railways, where lives have been lost.

Doris' Story

Doris, the cutest of terriers, wandered away from her family and furry sister one evening at Whitecliff, Poole. Just a moment's lapse in keeping an eye on her was enough to let her disappear.

Not knowing the best advice to follow in those first hours, her family searched for her all night. Meanwhile, Doris tried to return to their car. Nobody was there, so Doris wandered off again.

If her family had had the knowledge before she ran off, Doris would be alive today. Instead her body was found on the railway nearby; after a long four-week search. The outcome was a tragedy, though her loss inspired the creation of the Safe Paws Network .

Lily and Lucy's Story

Lily and Lucy, a pair of lively, much loved spaniels, were enjoying the freedom of a walk with family at Upton Country Park, which they knew well.

One moment, they were racing through the grass, sniffing and playing. The next, they were nowhere to be seen.

Their owners had no idea about the dangers of railway lines running close to dog walking areas. A search was launched immediately, but it was too late. Four days later, they were found together, on the railway line, close to where they once ran free.

Safe Paws Network would like signage at such places to warn dog walkers to keep a close eye, or a lead, on dogs in certain areas.

All these tragic dogs were found, though their lives were lost.
What could be worse? Not knowing what happened is MUCH worse. Hope can never be lost, but life for those families is in limbo forever, as these families can attest.

Rusty's Story

Rusty is a beautiful Jack Russell terrier who was last seen running on marshland near his home in Poole. It was 14th December 2024.

Like most dog owners when this happens, his family felt bewildered and overwhelmed. They posted on Facebook community groups, and tried to work out whose advice to take.

Rusty has still not been found. His face is still in everyone’s minds and on Facebook feeds. He will never be forgotten. The stress of this limbo is so much worse for the family because they just didn't know what to do for the best in the early days.

Winnie's Story

Winnie, a gorgeous black cockapoo, is known by thousands in Bournemouth and Poole, for the tragic reason that she went missing as a young puppy over a year ago, was know to be very nearby for many months, yet her family now has no idea where she could be, or if she's still living.

Her family wants nobody else to suffer the way they have done.

Read her story HERE

There's no certainty in a lost dog scenario. But these tales show how crucial the RIGHT actions are.

Success story- Douggie

Douggie, an 8 month old red lab and his family were involved in a serious road traffic collision on the B3223 near Exford.

In the chaos of the moment and as his family were being assisted by first responders, Douggie ran from the scene. Douggie and his family do not live locally, which made this an especially challenging case.

This story shows the importance of expert SAR help in locating and securing missing dogs. Inspiring! (The image shows Douggie as sighted on a remote SAR camera)

Read the full story HERE

Image showing countryside with Douggie, a large dog, as seen on a remote camera

Success Story -Cookie

Cookie is a Patterdale Terrier who decided to chase a particularly whiffy squirrel during a lunchtime walk.

Her family quickly contacted Eye in the Sky Drones, a recent arrival on the local canine SAR scene, for help and advice.

It was a calm day, so using a thermal drone was feasible. Unlike many others, Eye in the Sky is a good all-round source for the 'right' way to bring a dog home safe and well.

Which is what happened the following day.

Read the post HERE

Our Mission - to stop such tragedies

Image of memorial flowers and cards on a sideboard

We want to stop any more dogs like Doris, Lily and Lucy meeting tragic deaths this way. We want dogs like Milo, Rusty and Winnie to be found quickly and be reunited with their loved ones.

FEWER LOST DOGS - MORE FOUND ONES

We are a group of dog 'pawrents' who have been closely involved with the tragic side of losing a beloved dog that went missing, and who didn't make it home. We are Julia and Gary, owners of Doris, Nicky, who lost Milo, and Dannie is close friend, dog groomer and tech whizz. It's happening too often, and we just don't want any more people to go through that nightmare.

There are some wonderful, dedicated canine Search and Rescue teams out there, doing an amazing job.

But in those first crucial moments and hours, would you know what to do to give your dog the best chance of coming home safe and well? If you don't, then just who is giving you the right advice? How do you know who to trust to give you effective help?

We all want to walk our dogs and give them freedom without fear. We don't want to be on high alert all the time, worried we may never see our beloved pet again. We needn’t.

The SAFE PAWS NETWORK is about remaining free to love our dog walks. We want to draw more awareness to risks, using social media, leaflets and public message boards. We want to reach all dog owners and all those that work with dogs, to help us all be more KNOWLEDGEABLE, ACCOUNTABLE and PRACTICAL about keeping our dogs safe and WHAT TO DO IF IT DOES HAPPEN. Doing the right things in the first 24 hours gives us the best chance of a good outcome. We want every single dog owner or dog carer to have that knowledge at their fingertips.

We are passionate about this project and there's a lot that we want to achieve, but in simple terms, we want to

KEEP THEM SAFE

BRING THEM HOME

EVERY SINGLE TIME

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