Home at last: Diane is relieved to have Teddy back after such a horrendous ordeal.

Crossbreed Teddy disappeared whilst on holiday in Kent

A woman who lost her canine companion whilst on holiday has been reunited with it after it was found by a former rescue dog.

Diane Craven from Bristol had been holidaying in Kent when her black crossbreed, Teddy, went missing. The pair had been walking along the coast between Dover and Deal - more than four miles away - when Teddy got spooked by two dogs and run away.

Diane’s daughter launched a Facebook campaign to find Teddy and displayed posters around the area, but to no avail. After spending several days searching, Diane was devastated when she had to return home to Bristol without her beloved companion.

It seemed that all hope had been lost. But several days after returning home, Diane received a phone call to say that Teddy had been found.

Diane said: “We’re so relieved to have our Teddy back home after such a horrendous ordeal...after assuming the worst, we were so shocked and immensely relieved when we received the phone call. Teddy was so happy to see us – he just ran around and around!”

Teddy was found hiding under a bush by a former rescue dog called Smudge - a five-year-old terrier cross that was adopted from Dogs Trust Canterbury in July 2016.

Smudge and his owners Gary and Mandy Jones were walking on farmland in Deal when Smudge disappeared into a bush and remained still, as though he was trying to alert them to something.

Gary went over to the bush to see what Smudge was fixated on and, through the shadows, could just make out a little pink tongue and white teeth. At first, Gary thought that it could be a farm dog from the area, hiding from Smudge, but he checked around and nothing seemed to suggest that anyone owned him.

“I put Smudge back on his lead and checked the dog’s collar which had its owner’s phone number displayed,” Gary explained. “The poor boy was so shaken – he wouldn’t move from the bush, so I sat next to him feeding Smudge treats, and gradually gained Teddy’s trust after half an hour. He was very dirty, covered in shrubbery and appeared dehydrated.”

When Gary contacted Teddy’s tearful owners, it emerged that the dog had been missing for several days.

He continued: “I picked Teddy up and took him home while we waited for Teddy’s family to make the journey to come and collect him. I was really proud of Smudge for doing such a great job.

“When we first adopted him, his tough start in life meant that he needed support to boost his socialisation skills with dogs and new people. After about nine months of working hard with Smudge to improve his these skills and his recall training, we’re so chuffed with the lovely dog he’s become, and we can now confidently walk him off-lead as he’s great with four and two-legged friends alike.”

Image (C) Dogs Trust