Winnie's Story
- nicky733
- Apr 17
- 3 min read
Winnie is a beautiful, black and white cockapoo; just a puppy a few months old when she disappeared from her garden in Bournemouth early in 2024.
Her distraught family posted the news and an appeal for help on Facebook. The response was huge, and the search began, but it only became evident later that the wrong help was being used. There was some very good advice from experienced SAR people, but Winnie’s family was overwhelmed by responses, and initially they followed what turned out to be not the best advice possible.
Her owner says:
‘I think it’s so important, more awareness is needed. I remember the overwhelm very well of knowing what to do and what not to do and there were many mistakes made in those first few days. Pretty much the whole of my estate was out looking for her, calling her name which I now know is not great. I had so many people involved at the start - who all had conflicting advice as well which was crazy’.
The search continued, now with more experienced help, from DogLost Dorset, whose advice was followed, awareness through posters and social media was high, and well-meaning strangers were asked NOT to search actively.
Over the months, Winnie was sighted and even heard, close by, many times and remote motion-sensor cameras and feeding stations were employed, but the pattern hoped for, of regular sightings at the cameras, did not materialise. Getting her back was tantalisingly close more than once. For almost a year, Winnie was known to be alive, but too afraid to be found by her loving family or patient rescuers. Recently there has been nothing.
The anniversary of her going missing came and went, as did Winnie’s first birthday. Her family lives in agony, not knowing where, or if, Winnie is surviving.
Like us, after losing Milo, Winnie’s owner has used a counsellor to come to terms with the trauma. She now knows exactly what to do and who to turn to for help with a missing dog. Too late. She supports our aims.
She told Safe Paws:
‘My advice would be to follow exactly what DogLost says. It wasn’t until a week later after Winnie went missing that I really spoke to them and listened to their advice, but by then I think mistakes had been made.
So, my advice - leave gate open: leave food in case they return.
Posters everywhere - get as much coverage as you can. Winnie was on Hot Radio and also in the Echo.
Leaflets through all doors in estate asking to check gardens, outbuildings etc.
walk but don’t call their name
Keep all sightings off social media. This is really important because people can think they are helping but they aren’t.
Eye in the Skies drones were excellent - Dave helped quite a bit and he actually told me the reason he brought his drone was because of Winnie. It was the push he needed to just go for it. We had sightings over on the heath a week after sightings in Broadstone (I’d actually done a scent trail from the sighting in Broadstone to home going on to the heath and the next day I had 2 calls to say they had seen what looked like Winnie crossing the exact road I had crossed in my scent trail)
Only get in proper expert people to help and actually listen to what they say.
You almost need a one stop shop telling you about it like a checklist so people can follow that.’
At Safe Paws Network, we want to fill that ‘confusion gap’ for people so they know where to turn before they need that help.
The newspaper story here was written about Winnie.
Commenti