Dog cheats death in dual carriageway drama

30/04/2008

An animal ambulance driver from The Blue Cross pet charity undertook a dramatic dog rescue last week when she spotted a dog dangerously dodging traffic on the highspeed A312 near Feltham, Middlesex.

Tracey Brown was on her way to The Blue Cross animal adoption centre in Southampton when she noticed the dog attempting to cross the busy dual carriageway, where vehicles reach speeds of up to 50 MPH.

Tracey said: I was driving along and noticed this dog, she kept darting in front of the cars as though she was trying to cross. I knew that if I didn't stop and catch her she could be killed. I pulled over and managed to get her attention using pet toys I had in the ambulance. She was obviously very frightened but eventually came over to me and I got her safely into the vehicle.

The friendly crossbreed dog was brought back to The Blue Cross animal hospital in Victoria where she was checked over by a vet. Nurses scanned her for an identifying microchip and were delighted to hear a successful beep. The unique code enabled nurses to find out the dog was called Scooby and a contact address and telephone number to trace the owners.

Frustratingly, the contact details were out of date and so nurses began detective work to track them down another way. The council dog warden in the area where Scooby was found said that a family had been in touch about their missing dog. The description matched Scooby so the owners were finally contacted.

Scooby's family all came to the Victoria hospital together to fetch Scooby the following day. The family's three young children were especially ecstatic to be reunited with their adored pet.

Scooby's owner, Lisa from Hanworth said: We were so worried when we couldn't find Scooby so it was such a relief when The Blue Cross got in touch with us. We were horrified to find out that Scooby had been so close to danger when she got out of our garden. We are really grateful to The Blue Cross for returning her safely to us. In future we will make sure she is always wearing her ID tag when outside, her microchip details are updated and do everything we can to make our garden more secure so that she won't be at risk again.

The Blue Cross advises all pet owners to microchip their pets in case they are separated, and ensure that contact details are kept up to date after moving house or a change of name. Dog owners should also make sure their dog is wearing a collar and ID tag, displaying their name and address, if they are in a public place.

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Notes to editors

Images of Scooby with Tracey Brown and reunited with the family's three children are available
The Blue Cross is Britain's pet charity, providing practical support, information and advice for pet and horse owners. Through its network of animal adoption centres it rehomes thousands of animals each year. Its hospitals provide veterinary care for the pets of people who cannot afford private vets' fees.
For more information, please visit www.bluecross.org.uk.

Media contact
Louise Lee, The Blue Cross press office, 020 7932 4066 or 07880 781637.