Found Dog -on Ben Venue - Border Collie

[snodland]

At the risk of Walkhighlands getting inundated from all dog owners when their pet goes missing can I report a Dog found high up on Ben Venue and thus likely only to belong to somebody out walking in the vicinity in recent days.

I was walking with 2 friends up there today Saturday and at about the 550 Metre contour, tihrd of a mile south east of where the path meets the cairn a Black and White Border Collie - type began to follow us, befriend us, went off around the nearby vicinity searching but ultimately kept returning. We waited in vain for about 20 minutes to see if anybody came along after it.

Only one other person came along and he had thought the dog was ours. We had seen all the other people in the Loch Achray car park and none of them had a dog.The dog was in a very unkempt state, though still moving about quite freely. From the state of the dog I would be very,very suprised if it had not spent at least one night out that high on the mountain and my guess would be more.

The bloke we had met took the dog back down to the car park and - after finding the RSPCA shut on a Saturday, nobody staffing the police station at Aberfoyle, and nobody willing to take the dog in at Milngavie was directed to Maryhill Police Staion in Glasgow where at least it can be said it is safely among people and stands a better chance of being cared for than a mist enclosed mountain.

As the most likely people to have taken a dog that high up during the weather we have had in the west of scotland over the last few days are going to be walkers I hope you won't mind me posting here and a couple of other hillwalking sites in case anybody has lost a similar dog. Thanks

[spiderwebb]

Anyone get a pic of the dog, so as to check with Lost Dogs (or Dogs Lost websites).

Number of collies missing but going back few months so pic would help and/or any ID.

I'l contact both websites anyway to alert them.

[RicKamila]

Maybe Paul could add a section on the main forum page called Lost and Found?

Gorgeous dogs Border Collies. Im glad there are people like you who help animals in need like that. Im sure it will get reunited with its owner, or if not, find a new home.

[Milesy]

Could it be a local farm dog? Is it worth contacting any farms in the area?

[snodland]

Hello Folks

Some very good suggestions there. I went to lost dogs Scotland but need to register apparantly. I will get around to ir.

Didn't unfortunately think to get a photo. It did go through my mind that it might be a sheep dog,particularly as when it was searchingit did run around and then crouch low, but I have seen Collies doing this anyway. Also to be honest we encountered not a single sheep all day up and down the mountain,so not sure if it was sheep farming bit of the Trossachs but I will see if there are any farms - most likely down in Milton near Loch Ard or uptowards Stronachlachar as we all thought if it was that far up the mountain it wasnt likely to have escaped from anywhere that would have seen it bypass any hint of human activity like Brig o'Turk or the Achray Hotel and it was really highup on the mountain.

The one thing I should have mentioned is that we first of all checked for a tag with any number on it but there was none, but it had a Blue Collar(about the same shade of blue as the Walkhighlands toolbar at the top of this page (again I wonder if that would suggest it wasn't a farm dog?). Thank you for the concern you also have and the suggestions.


Lasty it also went through our minds that it may br its owner who was in trouble but I understand the dog (a bitch we reckon) was very friendly and happy to go down the mountain and get in the car of the guy who ended up after all his efforts taking her to Maryhill so doesn't look as though she was distressed in that sense.

[RicKamila]

There'd be a good chance then that because it had a collar that it would also be microchipped.

[milly]

Hope dog is reunited with owner - or the Dogs Trust people find it a new home with a lovely hillwalker.

[snodland]

I hear that she was reunited with he owner earlier on today.

Thanks to those who posted the details on Lost Dogs sites and the like. Well done to the excellent geezer who drove her all arund the Trossachs until he could find a police station willing or able to take her in. (He texted and said it was actually quite sad to have to hand her over, she must have been a very happy playful dog) and just Thanks .

Nice to have a happy ending

[spiderwebb]

Snodland, is that confirmed ? If so I'll let the websites know.

Cheers

[snodland]

to best of my knowledge. The bloke who took her to the police stations texted earlier to say as much.

I can try to text him back just to check. I presume he had left his contact number with the poliice

[spiderwebb]

I've let the admin for Lost Dogs know that she's been reunited, so will take it as done, another doggy happy ending.

Be interested to know how long she'd been lost.

[haggis1876]

Hi there.
I'm new to this site but just wanted to update on the lost/found dog saga. I was the one who took the dog (Jac for now!) down the hill and eventually onto the police station. I had a great time walking down with him, I know you guys said it was a she but I think it was a boy (Jack!! ), and we bonded nicely. After a long journey and 4 police stations I got him to Maryhill which is near my home. The desk officer did the bare minimum and I had to push him to take my phone number. He said they could check for a chip there and would "let me know" if he was still on shift. I was sad to leave "Jack" and he was confused also, twas a tad emotional.
I popped in the next day to check on the progress but he was still there and would be taken to a dog home of which they could'nt give me the number. I asked if they had contacted Callender or other local stations and it seemed to me that hadn't occured to them
At this point I was all for claiming Jack and changing my life to be a dog owner! The officer had more than hinted at this when I took him there, which would presumably cut out his paperwok However on the Monday I took it upon myself to call Callander police and for the first time had a really helpful officer. She couldn't have done more, and understood the situation totally. Luckily there had been a report of a missing dog and after a few calls the owner was on his way.
Baring in mind that Maryhill is some 30 miles away from Ben Venue I think the police could have done more to liase with the local force. I still haven't heard from the owner, but I doupt very much if my number was given. Or was he annoyed at having to travel that far to get Jack? How long had Jack been out there? Why wasn't he chipped? Why did he destroy my rear seatbelt? Answers I can't give.
What has to be said is big thanks to Claire and Andy for encouraging me to take Jack. Who knows what may have happened if they hadn't.
P.S. Dog "owners", please get your dog chipped.
P.P.S I miss Jack
P.P.P.S Sorry the pics are sideways

[Caberfeidh]

There's good eating on a dog. And a rug, or waistcoat and slippers.

[KeithS]

Caberfeidh,
You've got a really sick sense of humour!! I like it!!
Keith

[Caberfeidh]

I knew a bloke who had eaten dog in the Philipinnes; I was always a bit suspicious of him, it wouldn't do to let him get too hungry.I mean, dogs are practically human.