Search for missing French bulldog in Cliffe continues
Published: 10:34, 02 March 2021
Updated: 11:54, 02 March 2021
Search teams are still frantically looking for a nine-month-old puppy which went missing last Thursday.
Gus the French bulldog disappeared from his owner's sight after playing with another dog by Cliffe creek in Medway.
Drone SAR For Lost Dogs UK was contacted by the dog owner's mother.
Graham Burton, owner of the service, said: "We use drones to help find missing dogs all over the UK.
"Gus' owner's mum contacted me after he went missing. The puppy's owner was walking him with her sister and another dog.
"Gus and the other dog ran into the bushes. Her sister's dog came back but the owner's pet didn't return."
The search and rescue group has 1,300 volunteer drone pilots and more than 1,500 volunteer ground searchers across the UK, and has helped to find more than 1,700 missing dogs.
On Friday, volunteers cleared brambles in the area and noticed lots of fox holes. They began digging up the burrows in hopes of finding him.
The owner's friend, Dawn, said: "We've had drones and dogs searching for Gus but we still haven't had any luck.
"We managed to get a camera down a fox burrow and the operator said they saw some eyes and something metal like.
"This brought us hope, as Gus was wearing a harness with metal parts when he went missing.
"The fire service came and helped us dig up some of the burrows but we still haven't found him.
"We've dug up a whole area and still haven't seen Gus. We're stopping the digs now because we don't want to disrupt the wildlife any more in the area.
"Now we are just hoping for the best."
Gus went missing around the RSPB Cliffe Pools area, but his owner was able to pinpoint the exact spot on the what3words app, which has helped the search team.
What3words is a geocode system designed to identify any location down to about three metres.
A dedicated team is searching now, and people aren't encouraged to join them due to government coronavirus rules, but any locals already planning to take their exercise in the area are being urged to keep an eye out for Gus.
In a post on the Drone SAR Facebook page, Julie Ann Lambert, who is Gus's owner's mum, said: "Please help me find my daughter's dog who went missing while out walking.
"We have searched everywhere; she is absolutely going frantic."
If you have any information that can help Gus's owner find him, contact Dawn on 07718 221612.
Read more: All the latest news from Medway
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Megan Carr