Missing dog reunited with owner after eight days in sub-zero conditions

Phoebe and Debbie are back together after eight days apart. Credit: Bob Geddes

A ten-year-old dog has been reunited with her owner after spending eight days in sub-zero conditions, gales and torrential rain in Dumfries and Galloway.

Phoebe, a Chinese Crested Powder Puff, disappeared during a walk at Sandhills Bay at Colvend and was last seen in the Douglas Hall area.

But Phoebe and owner Debbie Bradley-Kyle, who lives at Southwick, Dumfries, were reunited this week after days and nights of searching for her.

She is believed to have spent much of the time cowering in bushes in the Colvend Golf Course and nearby Portling farm areas.

Debbie spent her spare time hunting for the dog and there was a big Facebook campaign to try and find Phoebe, who had only been re-homed about eight weeks ago.

She said: “I had almost given up hope after a week for it was -6 degrees the first night she was out and then we had storms and we couldn’t find her."

“We were out walking when she was ‘spooked’ at Douglas Hall and took off. We searched everywhere but couldn’t find her and it was only this week that a friend who lives on the farm with her partner, said she’d take me down and search the fields."

“Becky Ross and myself searched a couple of days but couldn’t find her but she eventually found Phoebe. After the weekend I didn’t think there was much hope for her because of the temperatures and the rainfall but eventually Becky found her."

“I only got Phoebe about eight weeks ago from a lady in Dumfries who is ill. Phoebe was found in a bush while I was searching further along at Kippford.”

Debbie added: “There was quite a big Facebook campaign and more than 600 people shared the initial picture, and from what I can understand there’s been about 50 or 60 people out looking for her."

“I would like to thank all these people who have been out searching for her. At first you think you’re going to find her but as time went on I was fearing the worst.”

After being reunited Debbie rushed Phoebe to the Stewartry Vets in Castle Douglas where she was treated for a temperature, conjunctivitis, and had lost about half her body weight and is down to about seven kilos.

“She has had injections and antibiotics but apart from that the vet said she was a very lucky dog. It’s really great to get her back.”