Relief as dog rescued from M1 after disappearing for two weeks
When police officers received a 999 call about a lamb running loose in the fast lane of the M1, they rushed to the scene and closed the motorway.
In fact, when they arrived, they discovered it wasn’t a lamb at all, but a missing dog. And after a dramatic rescue mission, Misty is now safe at home with her family following a two-week ordeal.
The two-year-old golden retriever-spaniel cross went missing from her home near Barnsley last month when her owners went on holiday. A rescue dog originally from Cyprus, Misty disappeared on July 28, and immediately headed off on her own two-week adventure.
Despite a number of sightings and attempts to capture her, Misty was in survival mode and ran away from everyone trying to help her before she was eventually brought to safety after the doggy drama on the M1 this month.
South Yorkshire Police received a number of 999 calls from worried drivers, including one who reported: “There’s a lamb running down lane three of the M1.”
Officers quickly attended and put a roadblock in place to prevent a crash during rush hour traffic.
Police drone experts were also on the scene, along with voluntary group K0-SAR, who were helping in the search. Drones managed to track Misty’s whereabouts, helping the team, complete with Misty’s family and dog-loving roads policing officers, put a plan together to find her.
Dirty, underweight and afraid, Misty was finally reunited with her family. PC Andrea Silburn said: “Finally being able to catch Misty, using chicken which was far too tempting for her to ignore after weeks of surviving on her own, was an extremely happy and rewarding day for everyone.
“As roads policing officers, we want to keep everyone safe, but being a huge dog lover, I was committed to ensuring Misty got home.
“It was a real community effort. She is a very clever dog, she managed to get so close to getting home herself, but she just couldn’t work out the final bit.
“After being checked by a vet, other than conjunctivitis and losing weight, she’s completely fine and a great happy ending for everyone involved.”
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Little Mayo saved from a jarring experience
Meet Mayo, the adorable kitty who was saved in the nick of time after getting his head stuck in a jar of mayonnaise.
Volunteers from the Northumbria branch of Cats Protection were visiting a garden in Ashington, Northumberland, earlier this summer after reports of feral kittens in the area.
Within minutes, the owner of the site alerted them to a kitten hidden behind a piece of wood with his head wedged in a glass jar.
Branch co-ordinator Sascha Dean said: “The truth is, when we first saw him, we thought we were too late. We asked the owner of the site for some oil, and they were able to give us some vegetable oil.
“We got it in around his head and gradually wiggled him out. Thankfully, we got there just in time, and within a few minutes he started to make little noises.”
Aptly named ‘Mayo’, the lucky moggie, thought to be around six weeks old at the time of his rescue, was checked out by a local vet and taken to the branch to be cared for.
Mayo has now settled into life with a volunteer fosterer, and once he’s old enough he will be neutered, microchipped and vaccinated to get ready for his furever home.
Sascha added: “It’s important for people to be aware of what can happen when rubbish is discarded. Since this happened, the team and I have carried a bottle of oil with us in the van in case something like this happens again. It’s pure chance we made it in time and were able to save Mayo’s life.”
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