Strategy time

Forgive the long blog today: we are motivated by 2 stories. One of Rollo - I'll post it at the end - who has safely been recovered after a 2-month holiday out in the wild. The other of a dog our local dog wardens remember, who they eventually tracked to an area and after a game of patience, "flushed out" of his hiding. There was a breath taking moment when he was about to flee then his owner called his name. Something appeared to "switch" in his head and he came running, as if "mummy, mummy, where've you been?"
You can see where this is leading.
Yesterday no news. Today no news.
Well there's still the mystery of the disappearing bananas from Pete & Bren's so I'll digress for a moment if you will forgive me. After bananas going from a bowl by their gate several nights in a row (except one night when the dog biscuit and meat went and the banana stayed) we set up our motion sensored infra-red camera last night. Result: 4 out of 6 pieces of banana went between 22.05 and 22.20 and the camera picked up a moth and disregarded the banana eater. Aaarghh!
Tim has played with the sensitivity threshold and the field and we'll try again tonight.
Oh and yesterday, Ffion and Tori took Plod, Jane's border collie who is in season and who Black Labrador was sniffing up to on Monday, out for a walk in the area to scent a lot. Ffion is now known as the Collie pimp, and intends to put tinted glass in the Jeep and wear more Bling.
Meanwhile, going back to Monday, Ann our dog warden summonsed Michelle, a neighbouring council's dog warden, and Ollie the out of hours dog warden on Monday and all 3 patiently surveyed the hot zone all afternoon with no success. Thanks to both Ollie and Michelle, who have no contractual reason to help us!
With the bit between their teeth they returned this afternoon. Pat who owns Ben, a friend of Sky's, met Tim and Ben was brought to our house (which he knows), his nose forced into an unwashed blanket of Sky's, and frog-marched out to the hot zone to see if he reacted to any area.
Ollie's dog was given the same treatment, and showed an interest in an area under a fallen tree, which Tim has always thought would make a cosy den.
But basically after an afternoon of patrolling and mulling over the situation. No sign of Sky, but with heads put together there is a strategy planned for next Wed morning.
All volunteers are welcomed for the "flush out Sky from his hidey hole" morning. Lunch will be provided Chez Coats (pizza).
We aim to meet on Lount Lane then disperse, some keeping sentry with binoculars from their cars, and others on foot. We will walk through the area and see if we can disturb him, with the aim being 1) identification and 2) (ideally) getting a Mummy Mummy success.
Tim and Ffion have swapped morning shifts for the evening (which pleased a colleague whose wedding anniversary is that evening).
In the interim, the camera will keep rolling until Banana Eater is snapped.
I can't get excited, because excitement so far has resulted in the equal and opposite force of Disappointment.
And finally, as they say at the end of the news, here's a happy story to end with. Thanks to Dawn Hughes for emailing us.
She heard of Sky's story through doglost.co.uk - which is the best website, and we have made a donation to. Please consider doing so. They have been very supportive to us.
Here it goes:
Hi there, Just wanted to say that I have been following your search for your dog having come across it on dogslost. My dogs brother went missing on 7th Jan 08 having slipped his harness outside his house and he just bolted. To this day we have no idea why! He was super friendly with people and dogs so it remains a mystery. Anyway we put posters up everywhere. He was spotted the same day miles from home. From then on despite hundreds of posters and newspaper articles and searchs we heard nothing! I am sad to say we even began to give up hope. Resigned to the fact he was either involved in a RTA and gone off to die somewhere or even have been stolen out the area. Out the blue last week Helen his owner got an unexpected phonecall!! Rolo had been found and was with a local rescue. He was only traced to her by his microchip!! They had no idea he was a 'lost' dog. Rolo the previously happy go lucky dog had been straying unspotted for over 2 MONTHS. He was skin and bones. A local couple had spotted him roaming (only at night) in some fields behind their home. The dog wardon didnt want to know as he only showed his face out of hours (this is despite the fact they knew of Rolos disappearence and being a blue merle cross who looks like a hyena is highly unique) Perservence on their part, feeding him every night payed off and 2 weeks later they managed to trap him in their home where a local rescue were called!! Cue the phonecall we had all been waiting for!! ROLO was reunited!!! How he remained unseen for so long is a mystery. Why he shyed from humans is a mystery. What ever the reasons he is now home where he deserves!!! He survived the ice, snow and artic temperatures!!! I thought this story may give you hope!! IT ONLY TAKES ONE PHONE~CALL!!!!