Lost dog on A' Mharconaich area

[Doomsday]

Just been thinking, maybe up the coast of Loch Ericht from where we were.
You park in Dalwhinnie (road is just before the garage on the left.) Park at the Stone rail bridge-as you can't get through and walk down the left hand side of the loch, past a wee lodge and keep going near the water's edge.
Can't really think of anywhere else other than there. Down towards the Carrievackie lodge.
If you want to go anywhere else on a hunch, please feel free to, any help is good help.
Thank you so much for taking the time and making the effort.
That goes to every single person that has helped look for our Ben.
Thank you all.

Might start a more "chappin" on doors. Also putting posters all over the place until they are sick looking at them and being a general pain in their bums approach for a wee while to recharge our batteries.

[SwaleyP]

Has Benji been chipped. Also if Benji had been taken, he's bound to be spotted.

I am more than happy to head out. I'm due to head in the area for a couple of hills. Dogs are always on the lookout for food, so they will constantly hunt. There are plenty of hares, damaged birds, frogs and other wildlife. Our dog whines if alone and really annoying (thats only when we get to our bedroom at night), so there's always hope. Never give up.

You'll always be surprised as you've already read and seen, the public will go beyond to help. I pray he's found and returned.

Best wishes
Pete

[mountainfain]

Seeing photos... Benji doesn't look like a typical docile lab ...looks very strong & tenacious & full of character. I am sure he would not fall to pieces & lie down & die for lack of human support (tho of course he will be missing you)... he can surely take care of himself as well as any old fox until you meet again. I saw plenty of fox poo out there in the back of beyond so they must be doing ok. Must be horrible not knowing, & all you can do is hope & keep searching. Don't give up - but take care of yourselves too. I nearly lost mine down a horrible cave once but only managed to rescue him by NOT falling in myself. It's unbearable but please take care. Whatever the outcome...I'm sure he won't be suffering ...if he can he will get back to you, it's just such a torture to wonder where & how to help that chance happen.

[Merry-walker]

All I do, all of the time... is think about how our Benji HAS fallen down some hole that we haven't found yet, and he's stuck down there forever...

[madasa mongoose]

I know it will be very difficult not to think the worst but dogs can go missing for a long time and Benji could still be alive and well somewhere. Given the amount of searching that has been done in the area that he went missing, I would suggest focusing on a poster/FB campaign to keep Benji’s details in the minds of as many people as possible across the widest possible area. I’m sure Help2RehomeScotland would do another appeal if you asked. Positive thoughts that you are reunited soon xx

[electricfly]

Was up again on Monday afternoon and made a thorough search of the area by layby 79 where the path turns south at the Coire Dhomhain.

Checked the railway fence which is pretty unpenatrable. The gated tunnel has enough room for a wilful dog to crawl underneath the gates and gain access to the tarmac track to the A9. The gates to the main rd are dog-proof however there is a water underpass which goes under the main rd. On checking this, I was hoping that the eastern side would be well fenced, however there is a few places where a dog could easily make progress eastwards from the A9 instead of being forced to head south to Dalnaspidal as I had thought before.

Might be a good idea to poster Blair Atholl and Bruar areas if not already been done as the hills on this side of the A9 eventually lead to water sources which drop to these areas.

Still hoping that Benji is mobile, there is still plenty of water to be found in the glens and drainage areas which would sustain him.

[CelticSmurf]

Don't know if this has been done...... How about making the poster of Benji with contact details available to print, so that anyone can print a few copies and post in different areas they are passing through. I have been up and down the A9 a lot in the last few weeks all the way to Forres and thought it would be handy to have had posters to stick up on various pit stops.

[Holly]

Oh gosh, I have been thinking of you both and hoping you have been managing ok.

That tent is light in comparison to most as is the wee stove attachment and thermarest BUT,,, I know ,,,, heavy to two people who have been giving their all and more and with your health issues. I so feel for you. xxxxx

Dont you two give up but you also need to look after your health.

Benjii would not want this and I agree that it is better to look to the net for publicity. Try again to lost dogs Scotland? Get them to re raise the photo again?

I personally cannot see anyone nearby with a motive to keep him but can see a motive where folks from afar have been travelling and maybe have picked him up as a stray well beyond the beaten track of the A9.
That is where the Net becomes invaluable.

BUT, if you need to do what you need to do, then fair play to you. Get that pack a bit lighter ( I know you can!) and get out there again for another look.
My thoughts are with you and every bit of me wishes him safe xxx

[Merry-walker]

Thanks Mountainfain, Pete and madasa mongoose...

Was up again on Monday afternoon and made a thorough search of the area by layby 79 where the path turns south at the Coire Dhomhain.

Checked the railway fence which is pretty unpenatrable. The gated tunnel has enough room for a wilful dog to crawl underneath the gates and gain access to the tarmac track to the A9. The gates to the main rd are dog-proof however there is a water underpass which goes under the main rd. On checking this, I was hoping that the eastern side would be well fenced, however there is a few places where a dog could easily make progress eastwards from the A9 instead of being forced to head south to Dalnaspidal as I had thought before.

Might be a good idea to poster Blair Atholl and Bruar areas if not already been done as the hills on this side of the A9 eventually lead to water sources which drop to these areas.

Still hoping that Benji is mobile, there is still plenty of water to be found in the glens and drainage areas which would sustain him.

Thank you Electrifly.... you're a sweet soul for going out again... we've postered the Bruar and B.Athol areas as well as loads of others from The Hermitage right up to Aviemore including in the bus stops which total strangers (kind folks) we've spoken to recently have photographed on their phones and shared on their own face books. We've got posters down and along the Rannoch road also and the hill folk and estates all know too. We are going to go major with the poster even more so now. Benji may well have gone over the road, he could be wandering the other side but they're not hills we're familiar with, but will be looking at our maps now to see what is there and see where we could go...

Again, thank you

Don't know if this has been done...... How about making the poster of Benji with contact details available to print, so that anyone can print a few copies and post in different areas they are passing through. I have been up and down the A9 a lot in the last few weeks all the way to Forres and thought it would be handy to have had posters to stick up on various pit stops.

We've still got posters left so if any one wants any posted out to them and they're travelling that road and could post or hand out to any one up that far up, we'd be very happy to post them out, obviously, we'll pay for the postage. Or, we could leave a load at Dalnaspidal and Balsporran as there's still bags of scent cloths still there where we left them two to three weeks ago and no one has moved them. The estate guys have been great in letting us leave them there...We've no been up as far as Forres but any suggestions are very much appreciated.

Thanks CelticSmurf

Oh gosh, I have been thinking of you both and hoping you have been managing ok.

That tent is light in comparison to most as is the wee stove attachment and thermarest BUT,,, I know ,,,, heavy to two people who have been giving their all and more and with your health issues. I so feel for you. xxxxx

Dont you two give up but you also need to look after your health.

Benjii would not want this and I agree that it is better to look to the net for publicity. Try again to lost dogs Scotland? Get them to re raise the photo again?

I personally cannot see anyone nearby with a motive to keep him but can see a motive where folks from afar have been travelling and maybe have picked him up as a stray well beyond the beaten track of the A9.
That is where the Net becomes invaluable.

BUT, if you need to do what you need to do, then fair play to you. Get that pack a bit lighter ( I know you can!) and get out there again for another look.
My thoughts are with you and every bit of me wishes him safe xxx

Many thanks Holly, for lending us your stuff and giving us so much advise re wild camping. We did have to buy some extra stuff as the thermarest wasn't enough I'm afraid and Ronnie needs the extra padding too. We got extra ones for comfort and had to get new sleeping bags as our old ones were too thin and we were freezing the first night. We will have to get our packs lighter as I just can't carry such a heavy load personally despite it being the advised maximum fifth of your body weight ratio thing (???) we been reading about (read it in a different post) and my own weight has dropped more again. We'll get them lighter and get more publicity out there on the web. I've another blummin' appointment tomorrow at the doctors but we are going back out up there some where as soon as I'm finished there (don't know where yet) but will drop off our other dog Mez first at my son's house as it just makes things a wee bit easier not having something else to worry about as all she does is run about like a mad, wild thing and is no sniffer dog. When ever we're shouting "Ben" e.t.c, all she does is just stand and look into the distance... dozy thing.

Any news at all, we'll keep every one updated.

Thank you Holly, and every one for your very kind thoughts and help

xxx

[bio-man]

Hi all....Firstly I hope that Benji is found safe and well soon. My collie went missing overnight and it was quite a desperate time. Secondly, I work for British Transport Police based in Perth and cover this area. There have been four seperate reports of trespass between Dalnaspidal and Balsporran within the last week. Please don't go onto the tracks even if your intentions are well-meaning. Your concentration will be focused on looking for Benji and will be diverted from an approaching train, especially if you are on your own. The trains are very quiet on this line. We never conduct line searches on our own.

In reply to Spiderwebb's post, please don't think of going lineside again or donning caving gear as a second person will struggle to lift sleeprs if they collapse on you. I will drive up to the summit tomorrow and check the sleepers and undergrowth. I'll speak to Network Rail on Tuesday (holiday in Perth tomorrow) and come up with a plan. We may complete a detailed lineside search.

[spiderwebb]

Hi Bio Man,
Duely noted. I was concentrating on those lineside areas as a result of the earlier post saying Network Rail had an incident of a train reported hitting a dog, although it was a bit vague, between marker 51 and 54 I believe.
Not sure if this was pursued any further with NW Rail ie for more detailed info.

[bio-man]

Ok...will chase up with NWR and signal boxes at Blair Athol and Dalwhinnie tomorrow.

[Merry-walker]

Bio-man,

No one from our search party have been on the line within the past week. If you check back in all the posts, you will see that we and two others have checked the line weeks ago (it's all here on the forum) from the other side of the fence but we have not been over the track except for when we have had to cross over to the other side.

I must stress that your reports of some one trespassing on the railway line within the past week is absolutely nothing to do with us.

We actually witnessed the initial "search" for a hit animal the following evening, although we were unaware of what they were actually doing. All we seen them do was wander up the track, laughing and joking and certainly not looking in any verges or any sides of the track. They walked about 50 metres up the track, then they meandered back. They certainly did not cover point 50 to 54 as was reported an alleged hit dog on 16th June.

Please can you tell us, has there been any other reports of a hit dog since June 16th? If yes, then where about at any point on the line between Aviemore and Perth?

[Merry-walker]

We're away in about an hour or so to wild camp to check out another area for 2-3 days

[Doomsday]

5 weeks today..........can't believe it's that long.
But we will find him.
Thanks for all your help in our search.
But we're not giving up for a long time yet.
Even if everywhere is completely covered in a 100 posters.
Never stop.
Thank you.
Ronnie & Jac