This Friday’s Scottie M.O.T. guest is Catriona Hudson, whose Scottie went missing this summer and still has not been found, despite mounting a massive nationwide search campaign. She will tell London Scottie Club about what she would do differently if this nightmare unfolded today. And she has generously offered her advice to other dog owners on how to handle this kind of emergency.

Read below for Catriona’s do’s and don’ts. They relate to your dog, but also to your own health. And don’t forget to tune into Scottie M.O.T. on 11 November at 09:00.

DO:

When your dog first goes missing do assume both ‘missing’ and ’stolen’ and get practical on both fronts.
Missing? Anything with their scent on hang from the washing line to let the scent fly in the wind.
If you have another dog take it with you to mark bushes
If you’re really brave/desperate – collect your own urine in a spray bottle and use that to mark/scent too!
Get the help of local drone enthusiasts
Cook the cheapest sausages on a BBQ and let the scent fly – if they’re hungry they;; find it – set up motion cameras and do this for a few nights before you try to catch them
If you see your dog, do sit quietly and let them come to you (if its been a few weeks they won’t remember their name)

DONT:

DON’T share the dogs name
If your dog hasn’t been neutered DON’T share that info as it attracts the wrong kind of attention
Once its been a week or so your dog will resort to instinct/ferrel behaviour DON’T call him/her if you see them. It’ll spook them and they’ll run!

DO:

Make posters and place them everywhere people gather – shops, garages, parks, schools, pubs etc
Set up a FB group page for your dog – to avoid being viewed as spam and booted off FB!
Contact and join all and any missing dog sites – LostDogsUK are good and will also offer volunteer support in the early days
Join local FB pages – nearby wards/villages etc
Contact vets, wardens, police, dog shelters, dog groomers and pet shops in the area
Inform your microchip company
Contact the local press
Contact local BBC Radio
Follow up any leads no matter how small or unlikely — you never know

DON’T:

Get upset when you receive crank calls – unfortunately they happen – tell the person they haven’t withheld their number (even if they have) they usually hang up OR have a whistle nearby!
DONT fall for ransom calls – they sound convincing but trust me — they do not have your dog. NEVER do a bank transfer.

DO:

Look after yourself. This is major stress/anxiety territory and if you are ill you are no use to your dog.
Take breaks
Ask for help /carve up tasks
If you get a local sighting/tip off – go door to door with posters and speak to people I promise 99% are beautiful
Feel you need to answer every comment on your FB page – it would be too consuming plus people tend to ask the same questions/offer the same advice repeatedly.

If you have any information which could lead to locating Bowie, Catriona has included the following contact details from her search campaign poster for your assistance:

CONTACT

Identibase: 0330 9128077 quoting reference 54839
Drop him off at the nearest Vet or message us through his FB page Bring Our Boy Home
https://www.facebook.com/groups/926309052095090/

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  Bowie

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  Bowie, as featured in search campaign poster

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  Bowie believed to have gone missing in nearby woodland or brook